We all have a certain fragrance of ghee set in our memories. Our mother and grandmother have always made delicious and fragrant ghee at home. Whenever my mother made ghee on the weekend, I remember the entire house would be filled with the nutty aroma of the ghee. The best part would be when she would serve the freshly made ghee on my ‘Varan Bhat’ (Plain yellow Dal and Rice). As a child, I would eat ghee made only by my mother. Even if I went to dine at someone else’s house, I would not eat their ghee. My mother used to cook ghee for a long time until the ‘beri’ (milk solids) became dark brown. Ghee cooked for less time was not even touched by me.
Ghee is a soft point for most people. They are particular about what they want in the ghee. Some prefer it to be lightly cooked while some prefer the ghee cooked for long. Some like the granular texture while some don't. This has a lot to do with what we have grown up eating as kids. Everyone has a liking for a certain taste, texture, aroma and color. If any of the above points is different than what we imagine, we start getting doubts like ‘Is this ghee pure?’ or ‘Why it doesn’t have the aroma as my Mother made?’ Bodhishop is here to solve the biggest question about desi cow ghee - What is the real aroma of desi ghee?
The Real Aroma of Desi Ghee
Although we all have a different aroma of desi ghee in our mind, there are certain factors that affect the ghee aroma. They are based on region, feed, style of making ghee as well as the cooking duration. Here are the factors affecting the aroma of desi cow ghee:
- The breed of the cow - Desi ghee is made using the milk of indigenous desi cows. Most ghee available in the market uses the milk of Jersey and HF cows which not native to India. There is a huge difference in the milk quality of indigenous and non-indigenous cows. This milk quality affects the aroma of the ghee as well.
- The method of making ghee - The ghee made using the traditional bilona process has a certain procedure. When ghee is made using the prescribed process, it gets that aroma of the typical desi ghee. Commercially available ghee is made by heating the malai whereas desi ghee is made by heating the makkhan. This is the reason why there is a difference in the smell, texture, colour, and taste.
- The feed given to cows - The location where the cows are living has an impact on the fodder she gets. In drought-prone areas, cows eat more of dry fodder. Cows in areas with abundant water have easier access to getting fresh and green fodder. The food that the cows eat directly impacts the milk thus impacting the ghee. Many times, the aroma of the ghee changes when the feed of the cows is changed owing to availability and weather.
- Cooking time - When makkhan is heated, milk solids start settling at the bottom of the vessel. Once all the milk solids have settled, the ghee is ideally ready. But many people continue cooking the ghee until the milk solids start turning brown. As the cooking time increases, the ghee stars getting a nuttier aroma.
Can we get the ghee with the same aroma for 12 months?
No. If the ghee is made using the pure desi cow milk and the traditional process of making ghee, there will be variations in the colour and texture ghee every time you buy it. This is because no essence, colour or standardization process is done to make the ghee look and taste the same every single time. This is 100% natural. You will never get ghee of the same colour and texture all 12 months if you are buying real and pure unadulterated ghee.
The commercially available ghee which you find in the stores has fragrance, essence and preservatives added in it to make it look and taste the same throughout the year.
Where can you buy the best desi cow ghee in India?
To buy the best and the purest desi cow ghee online, click here
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