Types of ghee: cow, buffalo, A2, bilona & more
‘Ghee’ covers a lot of products — from A2 cow bilona to brown ghee. Here’s how the main types differ so you can choose the right one.
The short answer
Ghee varies by the animal (cow vs buffalo), the milk protein (A1 vs A2), and the method (bilona vs factory). ‘Grass-fed’, ‘cultured’, ‘vedic’ and ‘brown’ ghee are descriptions layered on top. The purest end of the scale is A2 cow, grass-fed, bilona-made.
A quick map of ghee types
| Type | What it means |
|---|---|
| Cow ghee | Lighter, golden, more A2 — see cow vs buffalo |
| Buffalo ghee | Whiter, denser, higher fat |
| A2 ghee | From native desi breeds (Gir, Sahiwal, Badri) |
| Bilona / vedic ghee | Hand-churned from curd, the traditional way |
| Grass-fed ghee | From cows grazing on grass — more CLA |
| Cultured ghee | Made from cultured (fermented) curd/butter |
| Brown ghee | Cooked a little longer for a darker, nuttier flavour |
‘Vanaspati ghee’ isn’t ghee
Watch out — vanaspati / Dalda is hydrogenated vegetable oil sold to look like ghee. It’s not in this list because it isn’t dairy at all.
What “grass-fed” and “cultured” really mean
Two words get printed on almost every ghee jar — here’s what they actually change. Grass-fed means the cows eat pasture and wild forage instead of grain or stall feed; that diet gives the milk, and so the ghee, more CLA, more carotene (the natural golden colour) and a better fatty-acid profile. Cultured (also sold as “vedic”) means the ghee is made from curd, not cream: the milk is first set into dahi and churned the bilona way, and that fermentation is what builds the deep aroma and leaves it nearly lactose-free. So “grass-fed, cultured A2 ghee” isn’t just buzzwords stacked up — each word points to a real difference in diet and method.
The purest end of the scale
For everyday nutrition, kids and Ayurvedic use, A2 cow, grass-fed, bilona ghee is the gold standard — and what we make. Buffalo ghee suits high-calorie or long-storage needs. Whatever you pick, verify purity first.
Reading a ghee: colour, texture & smell
You can tell a lot about a ghee before you ever cook with it. Colour: a golden-yellow ghee usually means cow’s milk rich in carotene; a whiter ghee points to buffalo milk. Texture: a good bilona ghee often sets grainy or granular (danedar) rather than smooth and greasy — a sign it was made the traditional way; a deep brown tone means it was cooked longer, for a nuttier, stronger taste. Smell: real ghee has a clean, nutty, milky aroma — a flat, oily or sour smell is a red flag. None of this replaces a proper purity test, but your eyes and nose are a good first check.
FAQ
What is the best type of ghee?
What is brown ghee?
Is vedic ghee the same as bilona?
Cow or buffalo ghee — which is better?
Go deeper into ghee
The purest type, done right
A2 cow, grass-fed, bilona — lab-verified and fully traceable.