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The Harvest TableHonoring Food from Farm to Fork

Beyond Butter,Discovering Ghee

Few foods are as versatile in thekitchen and all-around soul pleasing asbutter. Cook with it, bake with it, mixit in, or simply smear it atop most any-thing ... it's simply great . And followingthe decades of dietary insanity in whichpeople actually believed margarine andthe like were better for you, butter'shealthful properties - especially frompastured animals - are coming to lightanew.

There's an age-old way to take butterto the next level, make it even more ver-satile, and perhaps heal with it. It's calledghee (pronounced gee). Or clarified but-ter, butter oil, drawn butter, butterfat,or anhydrous milk fat. It's simply butterwith the milk solids and water removed- easy to make, tastes great, lasts a longtime, and is health promoting.

With the compromised digestive sys-tems and chronic inflammation manyWesterners now possess, a healing of the"gut" is in order. And a key to healing thegut is to increase the intake of healthyoils. Coconut oil and ghee are at the topof the list.

Also, imagine doubling the moneyyou make selling your farmstead butterat the farmers market through a simplekitchen process.

HISTORYThe most widespread use of this

product is seen in India. There it is astaple, often seen flavored with spices,garlic, ginger or herbs. As a key elementin Ayurvedic medicine, the preferredtime of month to make ghee is during afull or waxing moon. Known as a sattvicfood, it is held to possess the essence ofthe cow, grass and cow's milk.

Essentially the same product is foundin Egypt as samna baladi, Ethiopa as ni-ter kibbeh, Brazil as manteiga-de-garrajaor manteiga-da-terra ("butter-in-a-bot-tle" or "butter of the land"). Moroccans,particularly Berbers, age spiced ghee inthe ground for months or years to createa product called smen.

In Germany, the best wienerschnitzelis fried not in butter, not in oil (althoughthis cheaper alternative is often usedtoday), but in butterschmalz, or plain,unspiced ghee.

GHEE & HEALTHHow is eating ghee different from

simply eating butter?Ghee has the milk solids removed

from the butterfat. In the process, almostall of the carbohydrates and protein areremoved - these are more commonlyknown as lactose and casein and aregenerally the source of dairy allergies,inflammation, or sensitivities in manypeople. Most people (except those ex-tremely allergic or lactose intolerant)do not experience problems throughincluding ghee in their diet.

Ghee - particularly from pasturedanimals - is rich in conjugatecllinoleiacid (CLA), as well as vitamins A, DanK2•

Dr. Weston A. Price, who studiedtraditional diets the world over, foundhealth benefits in eating deep-yellowbutter oil, particularly in combinationwith cod liver oil. In his classic bookNutrition and Physical Degeneration, hepostulated that butter oil contained thenutrient he tagged "Activator X;' whichis now believed to be one of the K vi-tamins.

Ghee does not contain trans-fats orhydrogenated oils, both of which areknown to cause heart disease and otherhealth problems.

It has a sacred role in Vedic andmodern Hindu libation and anointmentrituals. In fact, there is even a hymn toghee. It is burned in Hindu votive lampsand in certain rituals, and is used in wed-dings and funerals in that culture.

In Ayurvedic medicine, ghee is held tobe the purest of foods. The Susruta Sam-hita, a classic work of Ayurvedic wisdom,says ghee benefits the entire body, particularly for problems stemming fromthe pitta dosha, such as inflammation;

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It's held to have the healing benefits ofbutter without negative impurities suchmilk solids. Ghee-based preparations aresaid to promote memory, intelligence,quality and quantity of semen, and en-hance digestion. By fueling the "digestivefire" in the body, it is thought to balanceexcess stomach acid and repair the mu-cus lining of the stomach. Accordingly,it is used to treat chronic peptic ulcers,gastritis, and to heal intestinal ulcers.

It is believed that the longer gheeages, the greater its healing powers. Talesare told of aged ghee - up to 100 years- used in traditional healing. In fact,the Indian philosopher Charvak wroteof ghee in 3000 B.C.:

As long as you live, live happily.Beg, borrow or steal, but relish ghee.Traces of ghee were found in pottery

dating back to 6500 B.C.Aged ghee is used to treat alcoholism,

epilepsy, fever and vaginal pain.Ghee can also be enhanced by com-

bining it with medicinal herbs. As atopical, ghee mixed with honey has beenused on wounds, inflamed skin, burns,bedsores, bruises, skin rashes and blis-ters.

A key step in panchakarma therapy,a small amount of ghee is given in themorning to oleate the internal organsand dissolve the toxic wastes accumu-lated in tissues, allowing them to moveto the intestinal tract for elimination.As it has penetrating qualities, ghee cancarry medicinal herbs deep into tissuesand organs, boosting the effectiveness ofthese botanicals.

Ghee can be used to create more reg-ular bowel movements or to relieve con-stipation. One or two teaspoons of gheein the morning, followed by hot water,will produce a prompt bowel movement.Two teaspoons in the evening in warmmilk will sooth the nerves and lubricatethe intestines to produce a bowel move-ment in the morning.

M/UUNG GHtElEIn an uncovered, heavy-bottomed

saucepan, melt unsalted butter over me-dium heat. Butter from grassfed cows ob-viously is best. Once the butter is melted,reduce the heat to low. Watch carefullyto prevent the butter from burning. Thewhey protein in the butter will rise tothe surface and boil and froth. As it dries

'" ':i->: ;I'arm, ghee is liquid in form.

out, a thin skin will form on the top. Asthe boiling stops, you will see that somesolids have collected on the bottom ofthe pan. These are mostly casein protein.Allow it to cool slightly, skim the solidsoff the top, and pour the pure butter oilfrom the pan. Cool about 15 minutes,then strain through cheesecloth or a finemesh. You've just made clarified butter.To make classical Indian ghee, after thebutter stops boiling, increase the heat toabout 250 F to brown the bottom milksolids slightly. They'll take on a fragrancesimilar to popcorn. Even though they'llbe strained and removed, this browningimparts a scent and taste to the ghee.

The yield in making ghee from but-ter is quite high; you will end up with80 percent as much ghee as the startingquantity of butter.

You can save the solids from the bot-tom of the pan to eat, use on popcorn, orfeed to animals.

To make a great universal cookingoil, fill jars half to two-thirds full withghee, and then spoon in coconut oil tofill. As the coconut oil melts into the hotghee, stir slightly. Once liquefied, coverand shake vigorously. Allow to cool,

At cool temperatures, ghee solidifies to the texture of shortening.

September 201 0 61

shaking occasionally. This blend won'timpart the strong coconut taste that purecoconut oil can into your food, but stillserves as a way to get more coconut oilinto your diet.

Ghee, or coconut ghee, can be storedat room temperature for months (unlessyour kitchen is very warm), or can berefrigerated.

Also, in India, it's common to addspices during the boiling/browningstage. The most common are garlic andginger, but cumin, coriander, turmeric,cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg alsoare used.

(OOftUl"lIG WI'fH GIH!f~In removing the water and solids

from the butter, the smoke point is el-evated substantially (approximately 485F) versus pure butter (350 F). This makesit suitable for sauteing foods - evendeep frying if pure enough.

If browned in the traditional Indianway, it has a slightly nutty flavor thatmost cooks find blends perfectly withlighter foods, without imparting thestronger flavors found in coconut oil ortallow.

Pure Indian Foods, a U.S. maker oftraditional Indian ghee, recommends thefollowing uses for ghee:

As a snack:•• Toss into popped popcorn, or melt

ghec, add salt and popcorn, and pop.I} Mix with sea salt, add chives, and

spread over pita bread.

., Mix "-12'1 ~. .nond, peanut or cashewbutreranc '~se dS a dip for apples andother tr:::::s,

e Stir-frv :c:i::t",i. fresh garlic in gheeand pcn~:-(x:?:DO! bread.

e Saute and use when rnak-ing !iU,,"''',-;-

e Spread Qi:,:,,::>c;er whole wheat crack-ers) ::::~-:",~':-5;e.

In main CC<;"iC',:

~ Stir into -=-_t,;J-;' E:)~j717'efore serving .e Drizzle T':e::",c. over seafood.

e Stir intor;r . dishes such as Hop-pin' 3D;-C.

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o Combine minced garlic with driedthyme, rosemary, sage and parsley.Add salt, pepper and enough ghee tomake a paste. Rub into a chicken be-fore roasting.

In side dishes:e Serve over hot rice.'" Drizzle melted ghee over steamed veg-

etables.<l> Melt over corn on the cob." Stir-fry greens such as kale, collards

and Swiss chard." Use to make flour and corn tortillas.e Coat root vegetables with ghee, salt and

pepper, then roast." Mash into baked potatoes or stir into

mashed potatoes." Saute or caramelize onions in ghee.

In sauces:'" Ghee makes a great Hollandaise sauce;

simply substitute for butter.e Use in Bolognese sauce as is or with

olive oil.'" Mix 50:50 with olive oil and use as a

substitute for pure olive oil in recipes.e Simmer ghee, white wine, lemon juice,

garlic, and a sprig of fresh thyme. Addsalt and pour over broiled fish.

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fHNDU\l(i iGHlEEIf you're not up to making your own

ghee, there are many brands available inthe United States, from either retail oronline stores. A leading maker is Pure In-dian Foods (www.pureindianfoods.com).Other respectable brands include: PurityFarms, Ancient Organics, Divina Essen-tials, Taaza, and YoGhee.

And if you become a ghee aficionado,you can even buy a special stainless steeland glass "ghee pot" to store and servethis delicacy.

Be careful to obtain pure ghee, assome partially hydrogenated oils arefinding their way into the marketplacenow. In India, law enforcement officialscrack down on fake ghee, but as of yetthere are no ghee police in North Amer-ica, so buyers must beware. Look fordesi (country-made) or asli (genuine)if buying Indian -Iabeled product. Avoidvanaspati, or "vegetable ghee,"

MASSAGE &. MOREIt turns out that ghee isn't just for

buttering up turkeys. Ghee can be usedin the tub, along with a favorite essentialoil, as a bath oil. Ghee is used by yogapractitioners to lubricate connectivetissues and promote flexibility. In Ab-hyanga massage - a type of full-bodymassage - ghee is applied all over thebody, rubbing it into the head, chest,arms and legs and joints. It is believedto bypass the digestive system and pen-etrate directly into deeper tissues. Inessence, this "eating" of ghee by theskin (Ayurvedic texts hold that fully 60percent is absorbed into the body) doesthe same good, or more, than internalconsumption. Regular ghee massageis thought to delay aging and restoreyouthfulness.

While most appreciated and rel-ished in India, ghee has a long her-itage throughout the world. Discoverfor yourself this great tasting, beneficialfood. And heal yourself along the way.

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