The genius of ghee, a trendy Keto diet superfood: what it is, what to do with it, and how to make your own

The very first solid food my mother fed me as a baby in our southern India household was mashed-up rice mixed with a little ghee. This set the stage for my lifelong love affair with this nutty, rich, golden clarified butter.

In recent years, ghee has become a global phenomenon, trending as a “superfood” and beloved by followers of the popular Keto diet. But its history – real and legendary – is long.

Ghee originated in India, where heat is not conducive to storing butter for long periods. But when butter is clarified – heated until the water evaporates and the milk solids separate – its shelf life extends.

For millennia, ghee has featured in Indian recipes, and even in Hindu mythology, which attributes its origins to the divine. The story goes that Prajapati, lord of the creatures, rubbed his hands together to create the first ghee, which he then poured into flames to create his offspring. As a result, ghee is poured into sacred fires by Hindus to this day, a practice thought to be auspicious for marriages, funerals and other ceremonies.

It was also extensively consumed as part of a balanced diet. Ancient Sanskrit literature describes ghee as fit for the gods. Food cooked in ghee is considered superior; Vedic cooking divided all food into kacha khana (food not cooked in ghee) and pucca khana (food cooked in ghee). Modern Indian cooking no longer differentiates in this way, but the practice is carried on in religious ceremonies and cooking for festivals such as the Hindu festival Navratri.

Ghee has also been venerated through the ages for its medicinal properties. Ayurvedic medicine, prescribes it as a cooling food (it lowers the body’s temperature), as a digestive aid, and even as a salve to soothe burns.