Ghee
212394
226068569
2008-07-16T18:10:25Z
74.248.92.9
/* Outside of India */
[[Image:Ghee jar.jpg|thumb|right|Ghee in a jar]]
'''Ghee''' ([[Hindi]] घी ''ghī'', [[Urdu]] گھی ''ghī'', [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] ਘਿਉ/گھیو ''ghiu'', [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]] ग्याव/گیاو ''gyāw'', {{lang-bn|ঘি ''ghi'' or ঘৃত ''ghrito''}} - from [[Sanskrit]] घृत ''{{unicode|ghṛtə}}'' "sprinkled", ''tup'' [[Marathi language|Marathi]] तूप ''tūp'', ''tuppa'' [[Kannada language|Kannada]] ತುಪ್ಪ, ''ney'' [[Tamil language|Tamil]] நெய், or '''samna''' [[Arabic language|Arabic]] as سمنة, ''samnah'') is a class of [[clarified butter]] that originated in the [[Indian subcontinent]]{{Fact|date=December 2007}}, and is important in [[South Asian cuisine|South Asian]] and [[Middle Eastern cuisine]] such as [[Levantine]] and [[Cuisine of Egypt|Egyptian cuisine]]s and in Ethiopian/Eritrean cuisines.
==Preparation==
Ghee is made by [[simmering]] unsalted [[butter]] in a large [[cooking pot|pot]] until all water has boiled off and [[protein]] has settled to the bottom. The cooked and clarified butter is then spooned off to avoid disturbing the milk solids on the bottom of the pan. Unlike [[butter]], ghee can be stored for extended periods without [[refrigeration]], provided it is kept in an [[airtight]] container to prevent [[oxidation]] and remains moisture-free.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.food-india.com/ingredients/i001_i025/i007.htm
|title=Ghee -- Indian clarified butter
|publisher=food-india.com
|accessdate=2007-01-13
}}</ref>
==Religious uses==
Ghee was frequently used for [[libation]]s in [[Historical Vedic religion|Vedic]] rituals (see [[Yajurveda]]), and there is even a [[hymn]] to ghee.[''Language and Style of the Vedic Rsis'', Tatyana Jakovlevna Elizarenkova (C) 1995, p. 18.] Ghee is also burnt in the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] religious ritual of [[Aarti]] and is the principal fuel used for the Hindu votive lamp known as the [[diya]] or deep. It is used in marriages and funerals, and for bathing idols during worship. In other religious observances, such as the prayers to [[Shiva]] on [[Maha Shivaratri]], ghee is sacrificed along with four other sacred substances: [[sugar]], [[milk]], [[Dahi]] or yogurt, and [[honey]] which is called the '''Panchamrut'''. According to the ''[[Mahabharata]]'', ghee is the very root of sacrifice by [[Bhishma]].
==Ayurvedic medicine==
[[Ayurveda|Ayurvedic]] texts describe many diverse mind/body benefits. For example,
* Absorption: Ghee is an integral part of the practice of ayurvedic herbal formulation. Since ghee is an oil, it can bond with lipid-soluble nutrients and herbs to penetrate the lipid-based [[cell membrane]]s of the body. It is stated to increase the potency of certain herbs by carrying the active components to the interior of the cells where they impart the most benefit.
* Digestion: The ayurvedic texts say that ghee helps balance excess [[Gastric acid|stomach acid]], and helps maintain/repair the mucus lining of the stomach.
* Mild Burns: Like aloe, ghee is said to prevent blisters and scarring if applied quickly to affected skin. Also, ghee stored over a longer time has more medicinal value.
* Mind: Ghee is said to promote all three aspects of mental functioning -- learning, memory and recall.
* Ayurvedic Balance: Ghee balances both [[Humours (Ayurveda)|Vata]] (the [[dosha]] that controls movement in mind and body) and [[Humours (Ayurveda)|Pitta]] (the dosha that controls heat and [[metabolism]]).
Eating ghee is also believed to enhance [[virility]] and sexual potency. Excessive consumption of ghee is known to cause [[bromhidrosis]].
==Outside of India==
Several cultures make ghee outside of India. [[Egyptians]] make a product called سمنة بلدي (''samna baladi'', literally meaning "local ghee"; i.e. Egyptian ghee) virtually identical to ghee in terms of process and end result. In [[Ethiopia]], [[niter kibbeh]] ([[Amharic language|Amharic]]: ንጥር ቅቤ ''niṭer ḳibē'') is made and used in much the same way as ghee, but with spices added during the process that result in a distinctive taste. [[Morocco|Moroccans]] (especially [[Berber people|Berbers]]) take this one step further, aging spiced ghee in the ground for months or even years, resulting in a product called [[smen]]. In [[Northeast Region, Brazil|Northeastern]] [[Brazil]], a non-refrigerated butter very similar to ghee, called [[manteiga-de-garrafa]] (Butter-in-a-bottle) or [[manteiga-da-terra]] (Butter of the land), is extremely popular
It has omega-3
==Nutrition and health concerns==
{{confusing}}
Like any [[clarified butter]], ghee is composed almost entirely of [[saturated fat]]. Ghee has been shown to reduce serum cholesterol in one rodent study.<ref>{{cite journal
|title=Hypocholesterolemic effect of anhydrous milk fat ghee is mediated by increasing the secretion of biliary lipids
|last=Matam Vijaya Kumara
|coauthors=Kari Sambaiaha; Belur R. Lokesh
|journal=The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry
|volume=11
|issue=2
|pages=69–75
|date=February 2000
|doi=10.1016/S0955-2863(99)00072-8
}}</ref> Studies in [[Wistar rats]] have revealed one mechanism by which ghee reduces plasma [[Low density lipoprotein|LDL cholesterol]]. This action is [[Mediation (Statistics)|mediated]] by an increased secretion of [[biliary]] [[lipids]]. The [[nutrition facts label]] found on bottled cow's ghee produced in the USA indicates 8mg of cholesterol per teaspoon.
Indian restaurants and some households may use hydrogenated vegetable oil (also known as [[vanaspati]], [[Dalda]], or "vegetable ghee") in place of ghee for economic reasons. This "vegetable ghee" is actually polyunsaturated or monounsaturated partially [[hydrogenated vegetable oil]], a [[trans fat]]. Trans fats are increasingly linked to serious chronic health conditions. Not only is "vegetable ghee" implicated in causing high [[LDL]], it also lacks the health-promoting benefits claimed for "''Shuddh''" ([[Hindi]] for Pure) ghee. The term Shuddh Ghee, however, is not officially enforced in many regions, so partially hydrogenated oils are marketed as Pure Ghee in some areas. Where this is illegal in India, law-enforcement often cracks down on the sale of fake ghee.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/02/22/stories/2006022219340300.htm
|title=Sellers of fake ghee booked in Hyderabad
|publisher=hindu.com
|accessdate=2007-03-03
}}</ref> Ghee is also sometimes called [[desi]] (country-made) ghee or ''asli'' (genuine) ghee to distinguish it from "vegetable ghee".
When cooking, it can be unhealthy to heat polyunsaturated oils such as vegetable oils to high temperatures. Doing so creates peroxides and other [[Radical (chemistry)|free radicals]]. These substances lead to a variety of health problems and diseases. On the other hand, ghee has a very high [[smoke point]] and doesn't burn or smoke easily during cooking. Because ghee has the more stable saturated bonds (i.e., it lacks [[Covalent bond|double bonds]] which are easily damaged by heat) it is not as likely to form the dangerous free radicals when cooking. {{Fact|date=February 2007}}<br/><!-- some weird bug here, needs hard break --> Ghee's short chain fatty acids are also metabolized very readily by the body, which would seem to negate concerns of its health effects. However, there is significant controversy between traditional oils and modern industrially processed oils which tends to heavily cloud the facts and issues surrounding oil consumption.
==References==
{{reflist}}
it is hi in omega-3
==External links==
{{Cookbook}}
{{Commoncat}}
* Articles on ghee from Indian Foods Company: http://indianfoodsco.com/Submit/Ghee.htm (commercial site)
* Articles on ghee from Ancient Organics: http://www.ancientorganics.com/articles.htm (commercial site)
* Health Benefits of Ghee, Organic Clarified Butter: http://www.yoghee.com/benefits.html (commercial site)
* Table comparing various commercially available ghee products: http://blog.freeradicalfederation.com/archive/2006/07/25/Ghee_Comparison_Table.aspx (non commercial site)
* Nakoda Dairy Ghee India: http://www.nakodadairy.com
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[[Category:Butter]]
[[Category:Cooking fats]]
[[Category:Materials involved in Hinduism]]
[[Category:Indian ingredients]]
[[Category:Pakistani cuisine]]
[[Category:Bengali cuisine]]
[[Category:Hindi words and phrases]]
[[Category:Sanskrit words and phrases]]
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[[zh:酥油 (印度)]]