Ghee is made by heating butter to separate the liquid and milk solid portions from the fat. The solids are skimmed off or strained. What remains is clarified liquid fat known as ghee. This traditional clarification process, used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine, creates a shelf-stable fat with enhanced bioavailability.

Ghee is completely free of the milk sugar lactose and the milk protein casein, which is better for those who have allergies or sensitivities to dairy products. Because it doesn’t have milk solids, it doesn’t require refrigeration and can be kept at room temperature for several weeks.

When cooking at very high temperatures, ghee is a better choice than butter. Its smoke point of 485°F is 135°F higher than butter, making it ideal for high-heat cooking without producing harmful free radicals.

Ghee contains 25% or higher short-chain and medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). Butter has around 12% to 15%, and coconut oil has 62% MCTs. Short-chain and medium-chain fats are more easily digestible and metabolized directly by the liver for quick energy rather than being stored as fat. The more easily digestible the fat is, the more accessible it is as an energy source and not stored as fat. Ghee is also rich in both vitamin A and vitamin E, along with fat-soluble vitamins K2 and D.