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Pure Indian Foods, The Ghee Spoon Blog

Pure Indian Foods, The Ghee Spoon Blog

A collection of recipes and videos

Difference between ghee and cultured ghee

October 27, 2017 by Pure Indian Foods 14 Comments

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Many people ask us “what is the difference between ghee and cultured ghee”?

The answer is actually very simple. Ghee is made from milk, and cultured ghee is made from yogurt.

Cultured ghee is made by simmering unsalted butter over low heat until the milk solids separate from the liquid fat. To make cultured ghee, we use the following steps:

The milk is first separated from the cream. The cream is then cultured into yogurt by adding a small amount of bacterial culture and allowing it to ferment. The cultured yogurt is then churned into butter, and then the butter is heated over low heat until the milk solids separate and sink to the bottom. The clear golden liquid on top is the ghee, which is carefully separated from the milk solids and strained to remove any remaining impurities.

We make cultured ghee for people that are extremely dairy sensitive, and our cultured ghee undergoes lab testing, as well. If you are not extremely sensitive to dairy, there is essentially no difference between regular ghee and cultured ghee. But if you are allergic to dairy, then cultured ghee makes a world of difference.

So what does making ghee from yogurt do? How does that help people with dairy allergies? And if it’s made from yogurt, does that mean it’s fermented?

Well, yes and no. Yes, it’s fermented. But no, it’s not a source of live and active cultures. It’s kind of like a sourdough bread, where the dough is fermented and then baked into bread. Even though a sourdough bread is not a probiotic or source of live bacteria, the fermentation process makes the bread easier to digest.

 

The Fermentation Process

Milk contains lactose, a natural sugar which gives it that delicate sweet taste. In order for the body to breakdown lactose into its basic components of simple sugars called glucose and galactose, an enzyme called lactase must be present.

Many people lack this valuable enzyme in their digestive system, resulting in a common digestive problem known as lactose intolerance. In order to metabolize lactose, lactase must always be present.

During the culturing/fermentation process of milk or cream, lactose is converted into lactic acid. This makes for a much more digestible product for many people.

In the normal process of making ghee, the lactose is removed when the milk solids are separated from the fat. This means that normal non-cultured ghee does not usually cause a problem with lactose intolerance. However, cultured ghee is even better than regular ghee for those with lactose issues, as lactose is converted into lactic acid during fermentation process.

Despite the addition of the bacterial culture in the process, the bacteria do not survive the ghee-making process. This is because the high temperatures used in the process, coupled with the removal of the milk solids, effectively sterilize the ghee and kill off any bacteria present. Additionally, the lactic acid produced during the fermentation process further inhibits the growth of bacteria. As a result, cultured ghee is a pure, shelf-stable product that can be stored at room temperature for extended periods without refrigeration.[/vc_column_text][ultimate_heading main_heading=”How they’re made:” heading_tag=”h1″ spacer=”line_only” spacer_position=”bottom” line_height=”3″ line_color=”#3a3c42″ main_heading_margin=”margin-top:50px;margin-bottom:15px;” spacer_margin=”margin-bottom:50px;”][/ultimate_heading][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”16399″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” image_hovers=”false” link=”https://www.pureindianfoods.com/grass-fed-organic-ghee-p/ghee.htm”][ultimate_heading main_heading=”Milk from Pastured Cows” heading_tag=”h3″][/ultimate_heading][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-long-arrow-down” color=”green” size=”xl” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1513189709286{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;}”][ultimate_heading main_heading=”Cream Separated from the Milk” heading_tag=”h3″][/ultimate_heading][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-long-arrow-down” color=”green” size=”xl” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1513189709286{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;}”][ultimate_heading main_heading=”Cream Churned into Butter” heading_tag=”h3″][/ultimate_heading][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-long-arrow-down” color=”green” size=”xl” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1513189709286{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;}”][ultimate_heading main_heading=”Butter Simmered and Filtered to make Ghee” heading_tag=”h3″][/ultimate_heading][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”16400″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” image_hovers=”false” link=”https://www.pureindianfoods.com/Grassfed-Organic-Cultured-Ghee-p/cg.htm”][ultimate_heading main_heading=”Milk from Pastured Cows” heading_tag=”h3″][/ultimate_heading][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-long-arrow-down” color=”green” size=”xl” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1513189709286{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;}”][ultimate_heading main_heading=”Cream Separated from the Milk” heading_tag=”h3″][/ultimate_heading][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-long-arrow-down” color=”green” size=”xl” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1513189709286{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;}”][ultimate_heading main_heading=”Cream Fermented Into Yogurt” heading_tag=”h3″][/ultimate_heading][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-long-arrow-down” color=”green” size=”xl” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1513189709286{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;}”][ultimate_heading main_heading=”Yogurt Churned into Cultured Butter” heading_tag=”h3″][/ultimate_heading][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-long-arrow-down” color=”green” size=”xl” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1513189709286{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;}”][ultimate_heading main_heading=”Cultured Butter Simmered and Filtered to make Cultured Ghee” heading_tag=”h3″][/ultimate_heading][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-long-arrow-down” color=”green” size=”xl” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1513189709286{margin-top: 20px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;}”][ultimate_heading main_heading=”Batch-tested for traces of “dairy” (no more than 0.25% lactose and no more than 2.5 ppm casein/whey)” heading_tag=”h3″][/ultimate_heading][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1513197120009{margin-top: 50px !important;}”]

Why Cultured Ghee?

  • Cultured Ghee has a more buttery taste as a result of fermentation of the cream. Many people prefer the taste and aroma of cultured foods.
  • Batch-tested for traces of “dairy” (no more than 0.25% lactose and no more than 2.5 ppm casein/whey). This testing has not been done for our regular Ghee.
  • Our traditional Cultured Ghee recipe has been used for thousands of years. The ancient tradition of Ayurveda considers Cultured Ghee important for strengthening Agni, our powerful digestive fire.
  • Cultured Ghee is known as Desi Ghee in India, where the word desi means prepared with indigenous method.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1513882711588{margin-top: 60px !important;}”]

So which ghee should I purchase?

If you have dairy intolerance, we recommend cultured ghee. Otherwise, original ghee is an excellent choice (it’s less expensive too).  You can also purchase a small sample of both here, and decide for yourself.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”16536″ img_size=”” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.pureindianfoods.com/ghee-culturedghee-sampler-p/ggcg.htm”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Filed Under: Ghee, Informative Articles, Learn About Ghee Tagged With: Cultured Ghee

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Devendra says

    May 31, 2018 at 3:36 pm

    Thanks for this Blog,
    It really helps to isolate the confusion people might have.

    I am hoping to go for Cultured Ghee only, was aware of this process however it is explained in much much better and technical way here. Thanks a lot.

    Reply
  2. Sandy says

    February 9, 2020 at 3:13 pm

    We wondered where you sourced your garlic from for the garlicky ghee? Please get back to us and let us know.

    Reply
    • Pure Indian Foods says

      February 17, 2020 at 3:39 pm

      The organic garlic used in the garlicky ghee is sourced within the United States.

      Reply
  3. Ambarish Chitnis says

    May 13, 2020 at 4:21 pm

    Is your ghee made from A2 milk?

    Reply
    • Pure Indian Foods says

      May 13, 2020 at 5:01 pm

      We do not do A1 or A2 testing.

      Reply
  4. Charles Abrahamsen says

    July 25, 2020 at 8:18 am

    Is your milk 100% grassfed or do the cows get some grain or are the cows grain finished?

    Reply
    • Pure Indian Foods says

      July 26, 2020 at 2:28 pm

      Please refer to this article for an in-depth answer to your question: https://blog.pureindianfoods.com/organic-grass-fed-and-pasture-raised-cows/

      Reply
  5. Mrs moore says

    May 7, 2021 at 3:05 pm

    I’d like to buy a cultured fermented ghee
    Where May l ?

    Reply
    • alanasugar says

      November 30, 2021 at 4:40 pm

      Hello! Thanks for your question. You can purchase cultured ghee here: https://www.pureindianfoods.com/collections/ghee/products/grassfed-organic-cultured-ghee

      Reply
  6. Shereen Barakat says

    April 23, 2022 at 9:00 pm

    Is there a way to buy your cultured ghee on iherb? Would be amazing. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Pure Indian Foods says

      April 25, 2022 at 10:03 pm

      You can! Here: https://www.iherb.com/pr/pure-indian-foods-organic-grass-fed-cultured-ghee-15-oz-425-g/65287?gclid=CjwKCAjwjZmTBhB4EiwAynRmD35asp5MvmuTyHX8-DWx53Ewi5PcAcJDXs2cBxepaXFDwEjKJ-j2yxoC8ZQQAvD_BwE

      Reply
    • alanasugar says

      February 22, 2023 at 1:31 pm

      Our Cultured Ghee is available for sale on iherb. Here’s a link: https://www.iherb.com/pr/pure-indian-foods-organic-grass-fed-cultured-ghee-15-oz-425-g/65287

      Reply
  7. Shereen Barakat says

    April 26, 2022 at 3:41 am

    You are amazing. Thank you so much.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. To Ghee or Not to Ghee - Phoenix Helix says:
    July 25, 2020 at 8:20 pm

    […] isn’t sensitive enough to pick up all the tiny particles that may remain. Here’s a quote from Pure Indian Foods: “Our ghee is batch tested to be no more than 0.25% lactose and 2.5 […]

    Reply

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Hi! We are Sandeep and Nalini Agarwal. We are passionate about sourcing and producing high-quality organic products that nourish, as well as taste delicious! We work with small farmers in both the United States and India. Since 1889, our family has been in the ghee business in India, and since 2008 have been making grassfed, organic ghee in the United States. We handcraft many spiced ghees and ayurvedic herbal ghees. Thank you for stopping by!

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