The goodness of ghee is clear for all to see, writes ELAINE REEVES

It’s time to take another look at versatile ghee writes ELAINE REEVES, and its uses may surprise you.

Lynette, left, and Selina Heywood with turmeric lattes laced with Golden Caramel Ghee. Picture: ELAINE REEVES

BUTTER has been redeemed from the demonisation it endured in Western health messaging for many years, but in the ancient science of health care, Ayurveda, it always has been known at the ultimate nourishing food.

“They have never changed their story in thousands of years,” says Selina Heywood, who has a baby business making ghee, or clarified butter. With her in Golden Heart Ghee are her parents Lynette and Tony Heywood. Lynette grew up in central India, and has, says her daughter, “always had an Ayurvedic way of looking at food”.

The family moved to Crabtree in the Huon Valley from Sydney five years ago, and make their product in the Trade Training Centre in Huonville. Ghee has always been associated with Indian cooking says Lynette, but the uses for this “very versatile and healthy fat” go beyond one cuisine.

Ghee is what is left after butter has been heated, which causes the water to evaporate and the milk solids to sink to the bottom. When the solids are strained out, about 70 per cent of the original butter remains in the form of almost pure fat that has a high smoke point and a long shelf life.

Because casein protein and lactose sugar are removed in the process it can be eaten by people who are sensitive to these components of dairy. Ghee also contains all the fat-soluble vitamins — A, D, E and K.

“The flavour of ghee will depend on farm the butter is sourced from,” said Selina, who sought out Tasmanian organic butter, but could not find anyone who could supply a large amount of butter but infrequently.

Ghee tasting samples being kept warm for a Tassie winter’s day. Picture: ELAINE REEVES

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Her search led her to Symons Organic Dairy in Victoria, a third-generation family farm. In India, ghee is regarded as a holy, as well as healthy food. The cow is a symbol of mother nature’s abundance,” said Selina.

“It gives food, the dung is used for cooking gas, to grow vegetables and mixed with clay and hay for bricks. When it dies the leather and horns are used. “Ghee is the energy of mother nature, the essence of all of that mothering, nurturing and nourishing.”

Selina says she has been experimenting with what she thought was “a weird little diet”, the ketogenic diet, but has found that many of the people who talk to her at markets derive their familiarity with ghee, not from India, but this diet, one much appreciated by endurance athletes apparently.

To demonstrate ghee’s uses to me, Selina and Lynette had slathered some raisin toast with their Cocoa-Nut ghee — the most superior chocolate spread I have ever tasted. There were also turmeric lattes made with coconut milk and a dollop of their Golden Caramel ghee, and a chocolate brownie.

The brownie contained zucchini, almond meal, flax meal, coconut cream, ghee, cacao powder, egg, stevia and cinnamon. And the icing was of Cocoa-Nut Ghee plus a bit of extra coconut cream, cocoa powder and a dash of chilli.

“It’s anti-inflammatory, it’s high in antioxidants, it’s sugar-free and it’s very nourishing,” said Selina. It must be. Once when she and friends were working hard with little time to cook she made it every day and they survived on brownies and nothing else for a couple of weeks.

As well as traditional ghee in 280g or 500g jars, Selina makes three flavours, in 280g jars.

Garlic and Herb has oregano and thyme added. Suggestions are fry an egg in it, saute vegetables, stir through pasta or use as a condiment and put a dollop on food at the table.

Golden Caramel is infused with turmeric and cinnamon and sweetened with the herb stevia and monk fruit — there’s no cane sugar. It can be used in baking, including icing, added to cooked fruit, melted over pancakes or used as the medium to pop and flavour corn.

Cocoa-Nut ghee is designed as a healthy-fat spread. It contains, carob, cocoa, coconut, almond butter and stevia and monk fruit. Use it in baking, spread on toast, melt on ice cream or drop some in your hot chocolate or coffee.

Selina sells Golden Heart Ghee at the market at Willie Smith‘s in Huonville every Saturday, at Cygnet Market on the first and third Sundays of the month, and at Farm Gate Market in Hobart on the second, fourth and fifth Sundays. It is also stocked at the Health Bug in Huonville.