What Is Ghee?
To know whether ghee is (or can be) vegan, it’s helpful to understand what it is. Ghee is made from butter, which is usually made of dairy milk, most commonly stolen from cows, goats, or buffaloes. The animal-derived butter is melted in order to separate the milk solids from the liquid fat. The collected liquid fat is known as ghee. While it contains less lactose than butter, it’s still a result of animal exploitation.
Where Does Ghee Come From?
Most ghee is made in India and the U.S. On the majority of Indian factory farms, called tabelas, farmers tether calves using tight, short ropes. Calves have been known to strangle themselves while trying to reach their mothers. Farmers attach mother cows to unsterilized electronic milking equipment, which often causes them to develop infections such as mastitis.
In the U.S., workers also attach female cows to milking machines. Male calves are slaughtered for veal or raised and killed for beef, and females are often forced to follow their mothers in the cycle of forced impregnation, birthing, and milking until they are no longer profitable and are sent to slaughter.
On dairy farms worldwide, drugs are frequently given to the mothers to make them produce vast quantities of milk—four times the amount produced by cows in 1950. As soon as a cow can’t get pregnant or yield enough milk to be profitable, she’s shipped to the slaughterhouse to be made into cheap hamburger. All cows, goats, and buffaloes in the dairy industry face this end, even if companies put “humane,” “organic,” or “grass-fed” labels on butter. Cows—the most common source of milk used to make ghee—can live to be 25 years old, but those used in the dairy industry may live only four or five years.
Are Ghee Production and the Dairy Industry Bad for the Environment?
On top of harming cows and using them for profit, the dairy industry causes widespread environmental devastation. In 2017, the National Resources Defense Council released a list of the worst foods for climate change, and butter ranked third. Making ghee involves even more steps, using more resources, and causing even more damage.
So, Is Ghee Dairy-Free? Is Ghee Vegan?
For the reasons listed above, no, commercial ghee is not dairy-free and is definitely not vegan. However, there are vegan options in stores, just as vegan butter, vegan cheese, and vegan yogurt are available! And there are great recipes for making vegan ghee.
Dairy-Free Vegan Ghee Recipe
Yes, vegan ghee exists! Check out this five-step recipe for an option made with coconut oil.
Click Here for Vegan Ghee Recipe
Cows, goats, and buffaloes are intelligent social beings who quickly form bonds with their young. Consider the following facts:
- Goats can recognize individual bleats soon after birth, and mothers call out to keep their kids close and safe.
- Because of their love of exploring and excellent coordination, goats climb steep, rocky landscapes with ease.
- Buffalo calves are protected by their entire herd, made up of other mothers, fathers, and offspring.
- Buffaloes use their tails to show different emotions, and they roll in the dirt in order to protect themselves from fleas and shed excess fur.
- Cows form close bonds and like to spend most of their time with two to four friends.
- When cows solve problems, they’ve been known to jump in the air excitedly.
It’s easy to have a great meal without harming animals. Check out this PETA-approved list of dairy-free cheeses, milks, and ice creams for more ideas on making the switch to animal-free options.
Ditch Dairy—Get a Free Vegan Starter Kit Today
FAQs
Ghee is made from butter, which is usually made of dairy milk, most commonly stolen from cows, goats, or buffaloes. The animal-derived butter is melted in order to separate the milk solids from the liquid fat.
What is vegan ghee made of? ›
Instead of butter, vegan ghee is typically made from a combination of plant-based fats such as coconut oil, vegetable oils, and sometimes nut or seed kinds of butter. The process involves refining and clarifying these plant-based fats to create a similar texture and appearance to traditional ghee.
Why is ghee not vegan? ›
In contrast to other clarified kinds of butter, ghee is boiled for a long time, giving it a distinct nutty, rich flavor. Most ghee is mostly made from cow or buffalo milk, making it a non-vegan food.
What is ghee made of? ›
Ghee is a variation of clarified butter that is popular in the culinary traditions of the Middle East and India. How is ghee made? It's made from cow milk butter, treated with low heat until the water evaporates, leaving milk solids behind. The solids are skimmed off or strained if needed.
Is ghee healthier than butter? ›
Ghee is a natural food with a long history of medicinal and culinary uses. It provides certain cooking advantages over butter and is certainly preferable if you have a dairy intolerance. Both can be enjoyed in moderation as part of a healthy diet. However, no evidence suggests that it's healthier than butter overall.
Is ghee healthier than coconut oil? ›
There's a place in your diet for both coconut oil and ghee
Ghee is more nutrient-dense and full of beneficial short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids. But coconut oil helps to decrease LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) levels in your blood and can help fight off infections and boost your immune system.
Does vegan ghee taste like butter? ›
Vegan ghee is a plant-based alternative to traditional cow ghee and, thus, a great substitute if you want to avoid lactose, cholesterol, and the casein in animal products. It provides all the rich mouthfeel one craves with melted butter and a remarkably similar flavor.
Why is ghee banned in US? ›
The US Food and Drug Administration showed their concerns regarding the potential health risks of ghee. They banned it stating it possesses health risks such as obesity, heart attacks, and high blood pressure.
Why Americans don t eat ghee? ›
Ghee or similar (from boiling milk fats) is not inherent in their cuisine. They don't mind animal fats or lard or similar, even thought they also use all the other generic oils.. Sunflower, safflower, groundnut, canola, olive, corn,. etc..
Is ghee inflammatory like dairy? ›
Despite the fats in ghee, the dairy staple is a proven dietary remedy for weight loss and has the natural property of reducing inflammation in the body. Therefore, ghee is not inflammatory; instead, we can call ghee an anti-inflammatory dairy cooking oil. If there is a question, “is ghee inflammatory” the answer is no.
Healthfulness. When wondering about ghee vs olive oil, we're going to guess that you're mostly concerned with the nutrient profile of each. And this is where we tell you, neither is better or worse for you! They're just different and both are great additions to a healthy diet.
Does ghee need to be refrigerated? ›
As the milk solids have been removed, ghee doesn't go rancid as rapidly as ordinary butter does, so refrigeration is not so essential. However, it will extend its life, so it's worth keeping opened shop-bought ghee or homemade ghee in the fridge.
Does ghee raise cholesterol? ›
Health effects of ghee
These are also known as LDL and HDL. HDL is called good cholesterol because it collects cholesterol from all over the body and delivers it to the liver for disposal. It reduces your risk of lipid-related disorders. Consuming ghee raises your blood levels of LDL.
What is the shelf life of ghee? ›
An unopened jar of ghee could be stored in a dark place, away from sunlight at room-temperature (think kitchen cabinet) for up to nine months without concern. After the jar is opened, it can stay in its room-temperature cabinet for up to six months or it can be stored in a refrigerator for up to a year.
What does ghee taste like? ›
What Does It Taste Like? Ghee tastes like butter but with a slightly roasted, nutty background note. Like butter, commercial brands of ghee differ in flavor depending on the quality of the milk used to produce it. Because the milk solids have been removed, ghee does not have the creamy mouthfeel of butter.
What do we call ghee in English? ›
clarified butter (= butter with the water and milk solids removed by heating) used in South Asian cooking: The grain is mixed with ghee (clarified butter).
Is plant ghee better than animal ghee? ›
Cow milk ghee is high in fat-soluble vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids. In a side-by-side measure, the cow's ghee comes out on top. Conversely, vegetable ghee is not that great in taste and is also associated with many long-term health problems. According to tests, Vanaspati ghee has a high-calorie material.
What are the ingredients in animal ghee? ›
Ghee ingredients and animal category
Ghee is cooked from milk butter or milk cream. Usually, cow milk is the most popular ghee variant. Still, there is a market for buffalo ghee, sheep ghee, infused ghee. In Middle East countries, camel milk made is also in use.
Does ghee have animal fat? ›
To know whether ghee is (or can be) vegan, it's helpful to understand what it is. Ghee is made from butter, which is usually made of dairy milk, most commonly stolen from cows, goats, or buffaloes. The animal-derived butter is melted in order to separate the milk solids from the liquid fat.
Why is ghee Paleo but not butter? ›
That's why ghee is a better Paleo oil than butter. Ghee is lactose and casein-free dairy, whereas butter contains lactose and casein. The risk of dairy allergy is more with butter, and ghee is allergy risk-free. Food sensitivity is the reason Why is ghee paleo and not butter.
