From medicinal uses to recipes and the liquid sorcery in between, it's a clear winner
Throughout cultures around the world, ghee is an honored piece of daily life. Described by Ancient Sanskrit as "fit for the gods" it has been recognized for its medicinal properties for millennia. Below we do a little dishing about ghee as an offering of inspiration for spreading some its magic into your life (I got puns, son).
Ghee in Ayurveda
Ayurvedic textbooks describe ghee as an extremely important food and medicine. It's prescribed as a digestive aid, a food with the ability to cool the body's temperature, a cure for various skin issues, and even as a salve to soothe burns.
Dairy Deferrers Rejoice!
Good news for those that are lactose intolerant: without the milk solids of standard butter, which are removed during the clarifying process, ghee is suitable even for those that find difficulty with milk.
Because hardly any of the lactose or casein remains once butter has turned into ghee, any human body can ease-fully reap the remarkable rewards without fear of dairy-incited digestive dilemmas.
Ghee for Health
This supernatural butter packs one heck of a healing punch as a natural anti-inflammatory. Some other health-boosting benefits of ghee include:
reducing exposure to cancer-causing agents
rich in vitamins A, E and K2
helps moisturize skin and hair
keeps constipation at bay
nourishes and protects the brain
detoxification of blood
The American History of Ghee
With the accumulation of the 260 million pounds of surplus butter sitting with dairy farmers in 1950's America, the government thought of a way to bank from the Indian subcontinent's adoration of their liquid gold (ghee). They quickly began converting butter to ghee and off it went.
They even went so far as to send dairy expert, Louis H. Burgwald, to India where he peddled the product. However, with the natives' culturally-ingrained preference for the quality and preparation, the American attempt at winning over the ghee market fell short and faded off.
Ghee golly, these are some good recipes
In Vedic and Hindu cultures, food cooked in ghee is considered superior, being carried into ceremony and cooking for festivals. As the good word of its healing properties have grown in awareness, it's become a staple in kitchen cupboards around the globe.
“Ghee is, no doubt, clarified butter, but it is also something more; in the same way that wine is more than the juice of a squeezed grape. Ghee is like a genius born to a dull parent.” -R.K. Narayan of The New York Times, 1955
Lucky for us, making your own ghee is easy peasy! Here is one recipe to try out for yourself. Refrigeration is not required; ghee will solidify in the fridge but melt at room temperature, which it can also be safely kept at. Both options carry equal benefits.
Do you like pancakes? I sure do! You can also find a spectacular and super simple recipe for banana ghee pancakes right here.
So get your cooking pot and some high quality butter (mindfully-sourced and/or Certified Humane, if possible...personal preference and loving recommendation), and ghee it up, buttercup!
By Sam Jump
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