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The guide

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.

HomeGhee guideTypes of ghee

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.

Main types

A quick map of ghee types

TypeWhat it means
Cow gheeLighter, golden, more A2 — see cow vs buffalo
Buffalo gheeWhiter, denser, higher fat
A2 gheeFrom native desi breeds (Gir, Sahiwal, Badri)
Bilona / vedic gheeHand-churned from curd, the traditional way
Grass-fed gheeFrom cows grazing on grass — more CLA
Cultured gheeMade from cultured (fermented) curd/butter
Brown gheeCooked 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.

Decoding the label

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.

Which to choose

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.

A buyer’s skill

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?
For daily use, A2 cow grass-fed bilona ghee — lighter, richer in A2 and made traditionally.
What is brown ghee?
Ghee cooked a little longer so the milk solids brown, giving a darker colour and nuttier taste.
Is vedic ghee the same as bilona?
Largely yes — both describe the traditional curd-churned method. See bilona method.
Cow or buffalo ghee — which is better?
Depends on your need; cow is lighter and more A2. See the comparison.
Keep exploring

Go deeper into ghee

The purest type, done right

A2 cow, grass-fed, bilona — lab-verified and fully traceable.