Cow Ghee vs Buffalo Ghee: The Surprising Truth!



Ghee has been an essential cooking and seasoning ingredient for Indian homes. I have grown up eating and listening to the healthy tales of ghee since my childhood. We always drank cow milk and ate desi cow ghee. So as a child, I had only seen yellow ghee being used at home and believed that only yellow ghee was pure desi ghee.

When I got married I saw my mother-in-law using white ghee for rotis. This made me enquire about the white ghee which I thought was bought from the market. She laughed and said it was pure ghee made at home and I couldn’t believe how the color of this ghee was so different from the one we used at my mother’s house. Later I found out that the white ghee was produced from buffalo milk. My in-laws had always been using buffalo milk and buffalo ghee. Honestly, I did not enjoy the taste or aroma of this ghee. So I decided to keep a separate jar of cow ghee for myself in the house. I insisted my mother-in-law try some for cooking and for applying it on the rotis. Trust me she liked it so much that she hasn’t gone back to using buffalo ghee. Even though buffalo ghee has its fair share of benefits, here are some of the reasons why I prefer desi cow ghee over buffalo ghee any day.

These are some major differences when we compare cow ghee vs buffalo ghee

Cow ghee and buffalo ghee are quite different from one another in terms of taste, aroma, color, and many other aspects. I love cow ghee for its distinctive taste and comforting aroma. The major factors that distinguish them from each other are listed below:

Color:

Color is the first major distinguishing factor between cow ghee and buffalo ghee. The color of desi cow ghee is yellow while that of buffalo ghee is white. They can be easily distinguished from each other at first glance. The yellow color in desi cow ghee is because of the presence of beta-carotene which comes from the cow’s diet.

Nutrition:

Cow ghee is a powerhouse of nutrition. Desi cow ghee contains innumerable minerals, calcium, vitamins, proteins and is a natural antioxidant. This also makes it super beneficial for hair and skin health. Buffalo ghee is rich in essential elements like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.

Digestion:

Cow ghee is easy to digest as compared to buffalo ghee and aids gut health. The fats in the cow milk are lesser and the percentage of volatile and soluble acids is greater making it easily digestible as compared to buffalo ghee.

Shelf Life:

The higher amount of fats in buffalo ghee gives it higher shelf life. It can be preserved for a longer period as compared to desi cow ghee.

Milk to Ghee Ratio:

The amount of milk to ghee ratio is higher in buffalo milk than cow milk. It is one of the reasons why cow ghee is more expensive than buffalo ghee.

Fitness quotient:

Buffalo ghee has a very high-fat content and can drastically increase weight. It is good to be consumed if you are keen to increase your weight. Cow ghee on the other hand helps in weight management. It contains lesser fat and more conjugated linoleic acid(CLA). CLA boosts metabolism, keeps insulin levels low, and reduces the risk of weight gain.

Ayurvedic Treatment:

Cow ghee is used in mostly all the Ayurvedic treatments including the ‘Nasya Treatment’’. This treatment uses desi ghee as nasal drops to treat hair problems, migraine, tension headaches, vision, hearing, and memory problems. According to Ayurveda cow ghee has more medicinal properties as compared to buffalo ghee.

Good for children:

Cow ghee can be eaten by people of all age groups. Buffalo ghee should be eaten only by those who are physically more active. This makes desi cow ghee more beneficial for children. It provides them with more nourishment while reducing obesity and also protecting them from many diseases.

Consuming ghee every day is extremely useful for the health of our body, skin, hair, and overall well-being. Choose ghee that best suits your health requirements and make it a part of your lifestyle. Cow ghee offers many benefits for hair and skin apart from being so nutritious.