Ghee also finds a valuable place in treatment of various diseases in Indian medicine Ayurveda. In its table use, ghee is served in hot molten form and used for garnishing rice or spreading lightly on some food items. Ghee contributes unique characteristics to the appearance, texture, lubricity, and flavor, and it is a source of energy and several other potential health-promoting components. Ghee is the pure clarified fat derived solely from milk, desi (cooking) butter, or cream, to which no coloring is added. Ghee is produced in India from both buffalo and cow milk with a little variation in the composition of triacylglycerols (TAGs). Ghee is an ideal fat for deep frying because its smoke point is about 250 ☌. It is considered a supreme cooking and frying medium for the preparation of sweets and several food items. Ghee, or clarified butter, is the most widely used milk product in the Indian diet, and it was produced in India as early as 1500 b.c. Yadav, in Trans Fats Replacement Solutions, 2014 History of the Vanaspati Industry in India These include Kalyana Ghrita, Mahakalyana Ghrita, Mahapaishaachika Ghrita, Brahmi Ghrita, and Lashunadi Ghrita. There are several ghee-based formulations that are recommended for preservation and promotion of brain and neurological health. A research study compared different forms of herbs and herbal extracts and found that ghee improved the efficacy of the formulation compared to usage in powder or tablet form ( Illingworth et al., 2009). The lipophilic action of ghee facilitates transportation to the target organ and final delivery inside the cell via the cell membrane, which also contains lipid. Proper digestion, absorption, and delivery to a target organ system are vitally important for obtaining the maximum benefit from any therapeutic formulation. It is an excellent Anupana (therapeutic vehicle) for transporting the properties of herbs to the deeper tissue layers of the body. Ghee ( clarified butter) is known as Ghrta (commonly spelled Ghrita) in Sanskrit. Chandola, in Bioactive Nutraceuticals and Dietary Supplements in Neurological and Brain Disease, 2015 Ghee as a Therapeutic Vehicle Because whipped butter is low in density, it is a poor choice for cooking and baking and is best used as a spread. Whipped butter is whipped with nitrogen gas after it has been churned. It is smooth, neutral in flavor, and an excellent choice for baking if it is unsalted. Sweet cream butter is made from fresh, pasteurized cream. Specialty butters are made for baking and pastry. Salted butter that contains sea salt, such as French fleur de sel, is used more as a condiment than for general cooking or baking. Salted butter is available in both cultured and uncultured varieties. It has a shorter shelf life than pasteurized butter.
Raw-cream butter is made from farm-fresh, unpasteurized cream with a clean cream taste. Preserved butter, such as Moroccan smen, is fermented, aged, and sometimes seasoned with herbs and spices. This makes it unlike cultured butter in taste. It is made from cream that has undergone pasteurization, which kills naturally occurring bacteria. Pasteurized butter is characteristic of most butter that is available in the United States. Cultured butter is the preferred butter in most of Europe.
Lactic acid bacteria stimulate fermentation and create a sharp “cultured” taste.
Pat Newsham, in Food Science and the Culinary Arts, 2018 11.1.4.1 Clarified butterĬlarified butter is butter is just that-clarified.