Seven reasons why ghee should be in your kitchen cupboard this summer

Ghee. Let’s all say the word together, and out loud.

There, we’ve said it. Hopefully you’ll now be able to refrain from cringing every time it’s mentioned in this article, which I can assure you will be often. But before we go into the details, let’s first establish what ghee is exactly…

Also known as clarified butter, it’s made by heating unsalted butter and removing the milk protein to leave only the clear, golden goodness. Ghee was considered a sacred food by ancient Ayurvedic teachers, due to the health benefits and body-balancing components they believed it contained. In recent years the beneficial compounds within ghee have been supported by modern research, and health foodies all over the world are going ghee-eyed for the stuff.

Health benefits aside, it also makes everything taste better. Ghee features heavily in Indian cooking, which explains why those dishes are so incredibly delicious.

That’s the basics down, so now here are some reasons why you should up your ghee game:

1.  Lactose Friendly

Due to the milk protein being removed as part of the butter clarification process, the majority of people who have an intolerance to dairy/ lactose should have no issues consuming ghee. No doubt they’ll be only gheelighted to hear this.

2. Rich In Vitamins

Ghee is rich in healthy fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, which promote bone and brain health, and boost the immune system.

3. Great For Digestion

Ghee contains large amounts of butyric acid, which is incredibly beneficial for intestinal bacteria. And we all know how on-trend a good intestinal tract is these days.

4. Higher Smoke Point

The “smoke point”, is the temperature at which a fat begins to decompose, lose its nutritional value, and make free radicals (the carcinogenic compounds that cause cancer). At 220C, the ghee smoke point is higher than almost any other oil (extra virgin olive oil is 180C), meaning that it won’t turn nasty during the cooking process.

5. Doesn’t Spoil Easily

Ghee doesn’t need to be kept in a fridge, and it lasts far longer than refrigerated butter, even when kept in a press. Some sources say that it can last up to 100 years when kept cold, but as a general rule, it’ll stay good for 10 weeks at room temperature.

6. Very Straightforward To Make

You can find jars in middle eastern stores and health food shops across Ireland, but it’s also really easy to make it at home. All you need to do is let a block of unsalted butter simmer in a pan for about 30 minutes, skim the foam off of the top, strain the leftover liquid through a muslin cloth, and you’re done. **Ghee Wizz!**

7. It Is Delicious

Lob it into a creamy korma, spread it over steaming toast, or fry your veggies in it; this stuff makes everything taste like a ray of sunshine shining directly onto your tastebuds.

Main image via dietdoctor.com