In the West, Ghee is often described simply as “clarified butter.” While technically true for the jars you find in a standard supermarket, this definition offends the purist.
True Indian ghee—the kind used in Ayurvedic medicine and royal kitchens—is not just butter that has been melted. It is a fermented product. This distinction between “Industrial Ghee” and “Cultured Ghee” (often labeled as the Bilona method) makes the difference between a cooking fat and a culinary delicacy.
The Bilona Difference: Curd vs. Cream
The vast majority of commercial ghee is made by spinning milk in a centrifuge to separate the cream, and then boiling that cream. It is efficient, fast, and results in a flat, one-dimensional fat.
The traditional Bilona method is entirely different.
- Step 1: The milk is boiled and cooled.
- Step 2: A culture is added to turn the entire batch of milk into yogurt (curd).
- Step 3: The yogurt is hand-churned (traditionally with a wooden stick called a Bilona) to separate the butter.
- Step 4: This fermented butter is then slowly simmered to make ghee.
Because the fat is derived from yogurt rather than fresh cream, it undergoes a fermentation process that adds lactic acid notes. This gives cultured ghee a nutty, slightly tangy aroma that industrial ghee lacks completely.
The Health Factor: Butyric Acid
Beyond flavor, the fermentation process changes the chemical structure. Cultured ghee is prized for its high concentration of Butyric Acid, a short-chain fatty acid that is essential for gut health and digestion.
While industrial clarified butter is simply a fat source, cultured ghee acts as a digestive aid. This is why, in traditional Indian homes, a teaspoon of fresh ghee is often added to rice at the start of the meal—not just for taste, but to prime the stomach for what is to come.
Buying Advice
When shopping for high-end ghee, ignore terms like “Grass-Fed” or “Organic” if they don’t also say “Cultured” or “Bilona.” If the label lists “Milk Fat” or “Cream” as the only ingredient, it is standard clarified butter. If it lists “Cultured Butter” or mentions the churning of curd, you have found the liquid gold.