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Clarified butter: Solid gold
23
Feb
There are several types of butter today, which change through composition, texture, smell and flavour. However, there is one that can be considered unique or special, one of the oldest butters in the world and certainly one of the most common: clarified butter.
This butter, nicknamed “liquid gold”Was born in India (ghee butter), between 1500 and 500 BC, even before the passage of time to the new Gregorian calendar, that began to delineate the centuries and years. Whereupon
it appears, was created to last longer than ordinary butter, which was easily wasted when exposed to high temperatures.
Since that time clarified butter has been used in Indian cuisine and many other countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, and some variations in East Africa are still known. This butter has also been adapted to European cuisine, where it has become a part of German cuisine and high French cuisine.
But its value is not limited to the unique flavors and aromas it gives to dishes or its longer life expectancy. In fact, clarified butter is also very popular because of its various health benefits.
What does clarified butter mean? How many types of clarified butter there are? clarificada existem?
Clarified butter is butter that undergoes the process of separating its components by controlled heat. An alchemy to eliminate water, milk proteins, lactose and casein, leaving only pure fat, an oil without toxins.
This process, in addiction to increasing the durability of the butter, it is carried out so that the butter can be used at higher temperatures, unlike normal butter witch at a temperature of around 120 degrees burns its solid proteins, resulting in a change in colour and of the aroma and taste.
And there are different ways of making clarified butter, which gives three known variations:
– Clarified butter;
– Ghee butter;
– Bottled butter;
What is the main difference between lighted butter x ghee butter x bottled butter?
In fact, there are three types of clarified butter and although they differ in its process, they are based on a common basis of eliminating milk components to extract only healthy fat.
Clarified butter
It can be called classic clarified butter, it is usually done in a water bath in a process in which the solids and water are separated through a heating process, resulting in a clean butter. By melting, the separation between a golden liquid (pure fat) and a white foam (protein and lactose) does not harden. It tastes sweet and is very much appreciated.
Ghee butter
It is boiled with the solids and heated until caramelized. From this process comes a special flavor, strong and concentrated, like dried fruit or almond.
Bottled butter
The bottled butter is another type of clarified butter, in which the milk cream is cooked until the water evaporates, leaving only the fat and solid particles of the cream, giving it a very characteristic flavor.
Besides these three variants, there are still other less known variants which are not always included in this group.
One of the cases is hazelnut butter or the noisette beurrethat, like ghee butter, it is baked for a longer period of time to allow its solids to caramelize, From this process, we get a taste a little like hazelnut. Solids are not always eliminated in accordance with the purpose of the butter.
The clarified butter has neither salt nor lactose, and should not be kept cold, since it has a higher resistance at high temperatures.
If you’re curious how regular butter, margarine and ghee compare, you can check out our article "Kinds of Butter: Margarine X Butter X Ghee".
