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Ghee, clearly.
A practical guide to why we love ghee, what Ayurveda sees in it, how to cook with it, and what food science can tell us.
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Find sojee, roast potatoes, kitchari and everyday ideas from the original creators.
01
Ghee 101
Butter, transformed slowly.
Ghee begins as butter, but good ghee is much more than separated butterfat. Time and attentive heat cook away the moisture while the milk solids caramelise and give the fat its deep, nutty aroma. The solids are filtered out at the end, leaving the clear golden part. Clarified butter often stops at separation. Traditional ghee keeps going until the water is gone and that deeper flavour has arrived.
With the water and browned solids removed, ghee behaves differently from ordinary butter in the pan. It is happy at higher cooking temperatures, and one laboratory study observed smoking at about 250°C in the ghee it tested.
The word ghee comes through Hindi ghi from the Sanskrit ghrita. Its root is often connected with shining or brightness. That feels wonderfully fitting for something so clear, golden and luminous.
From the poster, into the kitchen
16 easy ways to use ghee.
Start with food you already love. Spoon, fry, bloom, baste or blend to taste.
Bloom spices
Warm whole spices in ghee until fragrant, then build your curry or pour the tadka over a finished dish.
Sauté
Give vegetables, eggs, grains or proteins a spoonful and let the nutty flavour do its thing.
Roast
Coat potatoes, vegetables, seeds or nuts before they go into the oven.
Fry
Try chips, vetkoek, fritters or a fried egg with properly crisp edges.
Braai
Brush it over mushrooms, mielies, bread or meat as a rich finishing baste.
Finish dinner
Add a dollop to hot rice, dal, curry, quinoa, soup or mashed potatoes.
Top porridge
Let a little melt over oats, mielie meal, pancakes or breakfast bowls.
Bake
Use it where melted butter or oil makes sense for cakes, biscuits, pastry and rusks.
Prepare a pan
Grease baking trays, loaf tins and pans with a thin layer.
Spread
Use it on warm toast, roti, flatbread, pancakes or mealie bread.
Make sweets
Bring proper richness to ladoos, halwa and other traditional treats.
Coffee
Blend in a small spoon for a creamy bullet-style coffee.
Malt or cacao
Stir or blend it into warm Mojo Malt, cacao or another cosy drink.
Golden milk
Blend it with warm milk, turmeric, cinnamon and black pepper.
Snack upgrade
Toss it through hot popcorn or freshly roasted nuts with a pinch of salt.
Use your imagination
If a dish likes butter, there is a very good chance it will enjoy ghee too.
02
Jar care
Your pantry is the right place.
Properly finished ghee has had almost all of its moisture cooked away. That low moisture is a big part of why it keeps so well, and why Maha Ghee does not need refrigeration under normal pantry conditions.
Keep the lid closed, store the jar in a cool, dry cupboard away from light, and use a clean, completely dry spoon. If water gets into the jar, its keeping quality changes. We also prefer not to move a jar in and out of the fridge, because temperature swings can create condensation.
Properly finished ghee is made for the pantry. If a product needs to live in the fridge, it may have been processed differently or may still carry more moisture than a traditionally finished jar. Maha Ghee is cooked for depth of flavour as well as keeping quality.
Ayurveda, in everyday language
Golden food with a very long memory.
Ayurveda has been talking about ghrita for thousands of years. The Charaka Samhita includes ghee among foods suited to regular use and celebrates it as the finest of fats. It is valued for feeding ojas, supporting agni, nourishing the mind and carrying herbs into the body. That is the living tradition Maha Ghee grows from.
In everyday language, people explore ghee for digestive comfort, steady nourishment, mental clarity, resilience and a more satisfying relationship with food. It is simple enough to begin with a spoonful and let your own body join the conversation.
“Ghee is the best among all fats.”
Charaka Samhita, Sutrasthana 13.14
Your digestive fire. Ghee is traditionally used to nourish without smothering agni, and could help food feel more agreeable and satisfying.
The deep reserve of vitality, resilience and nourishment. Ghee is one of Ayurveda's classic foods for building ojas.
Ghee is traditionally used as a carrier for herbs. In the everyday kitchen, the same gift is easy to taste when it draws the fragrance from spices and carries it through a dish.
A traditional perspective
Ghee in the Panchakarma tradition.
In Ayurveda, ghee has a place both at the table and in Panchakarma, an individualised system of cleansing and restorative care. A preparatory practice called snehana, or oleation, uses fats and oils: ghee may be taken internally under professional guidance, while oils are used externally in massage.
Traditionally, this is understood to help loosen accumulated imbalances and move them towards the digestive tract before cleansing treatments, alongside the Ayurvedic concept of ama, or residue associated with incomplete digestion.
This traditional explanation is different from evidence that eating ghee chemically binds or removes toxins. Therapeutic oleation and Panchakarma need qualified professional supervision.
Further reading: Vasant Lad and the Ayurvedic Institute’s introduction to Panchakarma (PDF) ↗
Ancient wisdom, modern language
Science is beginning to name what tradition has long observed.
A brilliant cooking fat
Ghee carries flavour beautifully, handles useful cooking heat and brings richness without needing a large amount.
Butyrate and the gut
Butyrate helps nourish the cells of the colon and supports the gut lining. Ghee is a natural dietary source, which is one reason people explore it for digestion and gut comfort.
Fat helps a meal do its job
Eating fat with food helps the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins. It also carries the flavour of herbs and spices, which is one reason blooming spices in ghee works so well.
Virtually free of lactose
Traditional ghee making removes the water and almost all lactose and milk solids, leaving near-pure butterfat. Many lactose-intolerant people enjoy ghee without trouble. Start small and see how your body responds.
Infused ghee
Gilded Ghee leads the way.
Gilded Ghee is our first infused ghee: a two-stage blend of coriander, cumin, turmeric root, curry leaf, fenugreek and other warming spices. It will return soon and open the door to a playful culinary collection as well as a more traditional herbal range inspired by Ayurveda. There are plenty more jars dreaming themselves into being.
See the pantry shelfSourcing FAQ
Is Maha Ghee grass-fed or organic?
We source our butter through an established Garden Route dairy producer that brings together milk from local farms, including pasture-grazing farms. Because the supply comes from several farms, we cannot guarantee that every batch is exclusively grass-fed.
We have approached farms directly, but our current volumes do not yet make a dedicated supply feasible. We also trialled certified organic, grass-fed butter; high costs and inconsistent supply made it difficult to continue. Our current ghee is not sold as certified organic.
Our goal is direct, fully traceable dairy sourcing and verified pasture-fed ghee, with the longer-term dream of caring for our own cows. We will share our progress as that becomes possible.
A little clarity
Frequently asked questions
How long does Maha Ghee last?
Unopened, Maha Ghee has a two-year shelf life. Once opened, best used within one year with careful storage and handling. Follow the best-before date on your jar.
Does it need refrigeration?
No fridge is needed under normal pantry conditions. Keep the lid tightly closed and store in a cool, dry cupboard, away from heat and light. Always use a clean, completely dry spoon and keep water and food crumbs out of the jar.
Why is my ghee liquid, creamy or grainy?
Ghee naturally changes texture with temperature. It may melt in warmer weather and become solid, creamy or grainy when cooler. Texture changes after transport and slight colour differences between batches are normal.
How is ghee different from butter?
We slowly cook butter to remove moisture, let the milk solids brown for a rich, nutty flavour, then filter them out. Enjoy ghee for sautéing, roasting, tempering spices, baking or finishing a warm meal.
Does ghee contain dairy or lactose?
Ghee is made from dairy butter. Clarification removes most milk solids and lactose, but we do not claim that every batch is completely lactose-free. Milk allergy is different from lactose intolerance: ghee is not suitable for someone with a milk allergy.
Which jar offers better value?
Our 500 ml jar is R280 and our 1 litre jar is R495. Choosing one 1 litre jar saves R65 compared with two 500 ml jars. Case pricing applies automatically from 12 jars of the same size; delivery is additional.
Can we order together and pay separately?
Yes. An organiser can arrange one same-size case, one delivery address and one group invoice, with separate EFT payments against that invoice by arrangement. Contact us to confirm your group’s quantity and payment references. Automated individual Pantry Pool payments are still being developed.
Where do you deliver, and what does shipping cost?
We deliver within South Africa by PUDO locker or door-to-door courier. Delivery and protective packaging cost R200 for exactly 12 × 1 litre jars and R150 for other orders up to 12 jars. Above 12 jars, including larger Pantry Pool orders, we quote delivery separately and confirm the full total before payment. Wholesale delivery is quoted individually.
How do I track my order?
Use your private order link, or enter your order reference and checkout email on our tracking page. Courier details appear once the parcel has been booked.
Is anything added?
Our Classic Ghee is made from butter, with no added oils, flavourings or preservatives. Infused varieties are different products, with their additional ingredients listed separately.
Read a little deeper
Resource shelf
A mix of traditional wisdom, joyful reading and food science for curious ghee lovers.
Food scienceA modern review of ghee
A peer-reviewed look at ghee's composition, traditional processing and naturally occurring fatty acids.
Open source ↗CookingWhat happens when ghee is heatedA laboratory study that reports smoking beginning at about 250°C in the tested ghee.
Open source ↗AyurvedaGhee, the golden nectar of AyurvedaBanyan Botanicals explores ghee, agni, ojas, cleansing traditions and everyday use.
Open source ↗Herbal gheeA guide to herbal gheesA lovely introduction to why Ayurveda values ghee as a nourishing carrier for herbs.
Open source ↗Dr David FrawleyDairy products in AyurvedaA traditional Ayurvedic view of ghee, ghritams and their place in nourishment and herbal preparation.
Open source ↗Keeping qualityWhy well-made ghee keeps so wellA food-science review explaining how very low moisture gives ghee its microbiological stability.
Open source ↗LanguageMonier-Williams Sanskrit dictionaryA classic Sanskrit reference for readers curious about ghrita and the language around ghee.
Open source ↗Ayurveda · VideoGhee in Ayurvedic traditionExplore Marianne Teitelbaum’s Ayurvedic perspective on ghee in “Ghee – The Ultimate Superfood.”
Video by Marianne Teitelbaum
An external Ayurvedic perspective; for general learning, not medical advice.
Watch on YouTube ↗Recipe · VideoDal tadkaWatch Chef Saurabh prepare dal tadka on Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana.
Recipe video by Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana
Watch on YouTube ↗Recipe · VideoGhee rice (neychoru)Explore a ghee rice (neychoru) recipe from Hebbars Kitchen.
Recipe video by Hebbars Kitchen
Watch on YouTube ↗Your body is part of the conversation. Start with a spoonful, notice how you feel, and find the way ghee fits your own kitchen and rhythm.