Is Ghee Vegan?

ghee vegan

Question: Is ghee vegan?

Answer: Ghee or clarified butter has significantly gained in popularity in the United States over recent years. It is typically used in American cooking for frying or in place of cooking oils because of its very high smoke point. Ghee is made from butter. Butter consists of butter fat, milk solids, and moisture. Regular butter is heated until the moisture is evaporated and the milk solids separate. What remains after the milk solids are skimmed away is ghee or the butter fat. The elimination of moisture to create ghee greatly increases its shelf life for several months, if not more.

So, animal milk is used to make butter and butter is used to make ghee. Vegans do not use or eat products that are derived from animals. Ghee is not vegan because it is made milk that comes from an animal (usually a cow).

However, there is vegetable ghee (vanaspathi) made from vegetable oil that is typically free of dairy but high in trans fat. Vegans should check the ingredients of vegetable ghee or with the manufacturer to ensure that there are not any non-vegan secondary ingredients hiding in the product.

 

 

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