What is Ghee?

Ghee is cultured butter which has been clarified, removing all milk solids to yield pure golden milk fat. However, not all ghee are equal in their nutritive and healing value. Only ghee made from organic milk, from pasture fed herds, is regarded as an outstanding elixir of health in the Ayurvedic health tradition. Happy Belly Ghee is made from organic cream from Commonwork organic Dairy Farm, Bore Place, Kent, using the traditional Vedic method for clarification. The herds here graze on pristine clover rich pastures almost all year long to produce rich creamy milk that yields pure, healthful, golden ghee.

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Virtures of Ghee According to Ayurvedic Masters
Sushruta, a renowned Ayurvedic surgeon, whose name credits the Sushruta Samhita, a classical Ayurvedic text around the 1st millennium BCE, describes ghee as an intelligence building principle that fosters the body’s confidence and virility.

The Charaka Samhita (3rd century BCE), extols the ability of ghee to promote memory and immunity.

Bri. Maya Tiwari, author of Path of Practice – The Ayurvedic Book of Healing with Food, Breath and Sound, says ghee is associated with the vital tissue element of love!

According to Ayurveda, ghee is a satvic food (that which has a purifying influence on mind, body and spirit) and promotes good health, vitality and longevity in all people. Ghee has a pacifying influence on people of Vata and Pita doshas (constitution). Vata types can beneficially enjoy more ghee than Pita types and Pita types can enjoy more ghee than Kapha types. Ghee stimulates digestion while balancing stomach acids and has a cooling effect on the mind and body. The therapeutic value of herbs and spices is brought out in ayurvedic cooking by sauteing them in a little ghee.

What Makes Ghee so Healthful?
Ghee’s chemistry holds the secret to its health benefits. Gree is made from a combination of short chain saturated fatty acids (65%) medium chain monounsaturated fatty acids (25%) and polyunsaturated essential fatty acids (5%). All of these are needed by the body for healthy metabolic activities, hormone production and nerve health. Ghee from pasture fed cows milk is rich in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega 3 fats. These essential fatty acids play a vital role in maintaining healthy cardio-vascular functions, reduction of free radical cellular damage, neutralizing carcinogens in the body and building lean tissue.

Ghee also contains fat soluble vitamins (Vitamin A, D, E and K) and minerals (calcium and phosphorus) making it a nutritious food by itself. In addition, ghee is able to penetrate deep within the body tissues making it an ideal vehicle for conveying nutrients to cells from other foods. This makes it an ideal fat to cook food in.

Ghee draws out flavour in spices, herbs and vegetables making food cooked in it not only nutritious but also aromatic and flavourful.

As ghee has a high ‘smoke point’ (485F or 252C) it reduces the potential of free radicals forming durning cooking. This makes it among the best fats for cooking and a superior alternative to butter in many recipies.

There are studies that suggest that ghee can help lower blood cholesterol by improving the ration between HDL’s and LDL’s.

Ghee has many important health and nutritive benefits. As a healthy oil ghee can help replace oxidised fats populating cell membranes and help the body in maintaining a low state of oxidation. Its low oxidisation rate keeps ghee fresh for months and even years, when stored will, even unrefrigerated. Aged ghee has even greater medicinal values as a food. Ghee is suitable for those sensitive to lactose.

Some Suggestions for Use
Ghee forms the base of cooking from the Asian sub continent. Ghee can be used for sauteing, stir frying, deep frying, seasoning, tempering, as a topping or a dip.

Ghee can replace butter in many cooking recipes. Use approximately 15% less ghee than you would butter in pastry making, making a risotto or making soupls, sauces and gravies.

The high smoke point of ghee makes it an excellent fat for basting and roasting vegetables, poultry and meats.

Enjoy cooking with HAPPY BELLY GHEE!

For more information
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