Difference Between Ghee and Butter

Ghee vs Butter
 

The difference between ghee and butter is well-known by the Asian cuisine. That is because ghee and butter are two milk products that are widely used in kitchens in Asian homes. Though the Western world is aware of butter, not many know about its variant known as Ghee, which is very popular, especially in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Ghee is made by butter. Both of them are produced by milk. Ghee is usually made from cow milk. However, butter is made from cow milk as well as sheep, goats, and yaks. Let us find out more about ghee and its differences with butter for the benefit of the readers.

What is Ghee?

Ghee is known by different names around the world such as clarified butter, butter oil, drawn butter or simply anhydrous milk fat (AMF). While clarified butter is called ghee in Asian countries, it is referred to as clarified butter or AMF in western countries. It is known as samnah in the Middle East, but to be frank, ghee that is used in India has properties that are not found in these varieties. There has been a lot of research on ghee in the west and scientists and doctors have finally veered around the view that ghee is certainly better than its varieties found in the west.

It is a great cooking medium with a high smoke point and is considered ideal for deep frying, sautéing, and baking. Moreover, a single tea spoonful of ghee can make a recipe delicious and full of aroma.

Sautéing with ghee is much better as there is no odor that is characteristic of butter. Milk solids are absent in ghee. So, one can heat ghee to as high a temperature as he wishes, and there is no drop in the taste of the recipe. During clarification of butter, which is the process of making ghee casein and lactose, that are found prominently in butter get removed making ghee a product easy to digest. This makes the ghee suitable for people who are allergic to these milk components. In fact, doctors advise such people to have ghee instead of butter.

Ghee has a very long shelf life as it can stand without refrigeration for a period of 2-3 months. This is because all the moisture from the butter is removed for making ghee. If you keep in the fridge, ghee can last for years. In fact, aged ghee has healing properties and is very expensive like aged wine.

What is Butter?

Butter is made by churning fresh or fermented milk or cream. This is done to separate butterfat from buttermilk. Butter has butterfat, milk, water, and proteins. Butter is used as a spread. It is also used in cooking as in baking, sautéing, and pan frying. Butter has a milky flavor. However, butter has a way of producing a bad odor. This happens because butter contains milk solids that precipitate and go to the bottom of the pan where they burn producing a bad odor. Butter has a very limited shelf life. Though butter has a taste of its own, you cannot make recipes in it.

What is the difference between Ghee and Butter?

• Ghee is a milk product just like butter.

• Butter is made by churning fresh or fermented milk or cream. Ghee is made by simmering butter and removing the residue.

• Ghee is called clarified butter in the west though ghee made in India has been acknowledged as being better than clarified butter by westerners.

• Ghee is an excellent cooking medium. Butter cannot be heated to high temperatures as butter gets burnt at high temperatures.

• Butter produces rancid smell while the ghee has a very high smoke point (400 degree F) and adds to flavor and aroma of recipes.

• Butter has a very limited shelf life while the ghee can stand without refrigeration for a period of 2-3 months.

• There is another difference that is not noticeable, but important. While butter has slightly acidic properties, ghee is alkaline in nature.

Images Courtesy:

1. Ghee by Rainer Z … (CC BY-SA 3.0)
2. Butter by Upload Bot (Magnus Manske) (CC BY 2.5)