What will you learn in this article?
- Is Ghee Vegan?
- What is Ghee and why it is not vegan?
- Is Ghee Vegetarian?
- Make Vegan Ghee at home.
- What are the common uses of Ghee?
- Is there animal cruelty in the making of Ghee?
- 6 Vegan alternatives to Ghee
Is Ghee vegan?
With so many sources of information online, there is sometimes confusion as to whether certain foods are vegan or not.
Getting the right well-researched information for one to make an accurate decision when adding food to their shopping cart.
Without proper research, a vegan may end up with a lot of non-vegan items that have alternatives sneaking into the shopping basket.
One common question which has a lot of confusion surrounding it for some people is, “Is ghee vegan?”.
The short answer is no!
But, there is also a type of Ghee known as Vansapati or Vegetable Ghee which is completely vegan because it is made through hydrogenation of vegetable oil.
Although it is vegan, I will not suggest you consume it because of its health issues
However, we will take our time to explain this answer by providing how it is made and what it actually is? We will also do a great job of giving alternatives. (Scroll down some steps)
What is Ghee and why it is not vegan?
Ghee is made from regular butter which we are aware is made from dairy milk and thus comes from the exploitation of livestock such as goats, cows, and tamed buffalo.
Ghee is the liquefied fat-derived when animal-derived butter is melted to isolate the fat content.
Is Ghee Vegetarian?
The main difference between vegetarians and vegans is that vegetarians use animal-derived products like milk, cheese, even wearables.
The only thing that makes vegetarians “vegetarian” is that they don’t consume animal meat.
“Read also: Is Hummus Vegan? 5 Vegan Hummus Recipes to savor with“
So, Ghee is a byproduct of milk and is widely consumed by vegetarians.
So, Even though Ghee is not considered vegan but is totally vegetarian.
Make Vegan Ghee at home.
What are the common uses of ghee?
Ghee is often used as cooking oil and it is used because it can get up to 250 degrees Celsius before it reaches its smoke point.
It is thus used for cooking or frying things that require very high temperatures because it can withstand large quantities of heat without burning them.
It also can be kept outside of the fridge for even longer than butter can withstand.
However we will give its vegan alternatives later in this piece, but before we do we need to make it clear where it stands in terms of animal cruelty.
Is There Animal Cruelty in The Making of Ghee?
Whilst we have already made it clear that Ghee is not vegan. We outlined its animal origins.
A lot of people may be interested in knowing if the process of creating it involves any cruelty to animals.
Most of the ghee is made at factories in India and North America, with Indian factories taking a larger share.
The conditions on many of the farms are not friendly to the animals, where the workers using tight ropes to control the cattle.
Reportedly a lot of calves suffer strangling in a bid to connect with their mothers.
The cross-infection has also been negligent with some farmers attaching unsterilized milking machinery to the cows leading to cows suffering from different infections.
As if these cruel practices are not enough. There is often forced mating for the purpose of multiplying the profit margins of the farmers and corporations with no regard for the animals that produce the end product.
The males are killed for beef.
The above is an indication that ghee is inexcusable because not only is it animal-derived but animals are ill-treated just to create the products it is derived from.
6 Vegan Alternatives to Ghee
There are a lot of recipes out there that have ghee as an ingredient hence the need to look for vegan alternatives for ghee.
It can be substituted by a lot of vegan alternatives. We will list some of the replacements in the following section.
1.Refined Avocado Oil
Refined Avocado oil is totally vegan and is one of the best alternatives against ghee owing to its 270 degrees Celsius smoke point which already trumps the major reason we cited for ghee.
Avocado oil is a good plant-based ingredient that can replace every recipe in which ghee can be used whilst offering highly nutritious value and reducing harm to animals.
This vegan option also comes with an added advantage because it does wonders for the skin just like the fruit it comes from.
It can hydrate and moisturize skin and reduce the effect of irritants among many other benefits.
2.Safflower Oil
With a smoke point of over 320 degrees Celsius when it is semi-refined and 510 degrees Celsius when it’s refined there is absolutely no need to opt for ghee.
This is a healthier alternative, higher smoke point, largely available, and friendly to animals.
Safflower oil is 100% organic.
The unsaturated fats within it are very healthy for the heart and skin. Like many vegan oils which we will mention, it offers a variety of skin benefits because of its Vitamin E content.
3.Rapeseed Oil
We are spoilt for choice when it comes to vegan alternatives for ghee. One cannot claim that they had no access to options.
Though it has a slightly lower smoke point than ghee, it is still an eligible candidate to replace ghee in recipes.
It has a smoke point of 204 degrees Celsius which is not a far cry from that of ghee.
Add to the fact that as a plant-based vegan cooking oil it offers much of the same benefits as all the previously discussed alternatives ( Avocado oil, Safflower oil, and rapeseed oil). It is one of the best ghee substitutes on the market.
4.Sesame Oil
A toddler may be tempted to assume that sesame oil is from a big bird in Sesame Street, thus animal-derived.
It would make a great jester but the truth is sesame oil is from sesame seeds thus vegan. It is a good substitute for recipes that contain ghee as an ingredient.
With an incredibly high smoke point of 410 degrees Celsius along with the health benefits that come with all plant-based cooking oil (highlighted in the other descriptions), why would anyone use ghee?
5.Sunflower Oil
Sunflower oil is a greatly available vegan option to replace ghee in any ingredients list. It is easy to find in stores as well.
It has this aromatic effect as well that makes it a pleasure to work with. It has a smoke point of 232 degrees Celsius which renders it a good candidate for high heat cooking.
For lengthy cooking periods, however, when you do high heat cooking you much rather go with sesame oil.
6.Soybean oil
Another great alternative is soybean oil; it has a slightly higher smoke point than Sunflower oil. It stands at 234 degrees Celsius.
It will easily take the place of ghee in any recipe.
We are largely spoilt for choice where it comes to the alternatives. There are many other oils that we did not detail in this article such as olive oil, coconut oil, vegetable oil, and canola oil among a wide range of vegan-friendly oils.
The Bottom Line
For every non-vegan product that we have been conditioned to use daily, there are actually a lot more choices on the market that are not only vegan but friendly to animals.
A clever vegan is always researching and corroborating information they receive with facts.
The other aspect of a good student is to share and discuss, so feel free to share this post with your friends and family to help them make better buying choices.
In conclusion, you can do without ghee on your shopping list.
