Desi Ghee From Culture To Marketing Myths [5000 BC To 2023 Full Analysis]

Desi Ghee is a type of clarified butter. It has a long history, going back to around 5000 BC. From its early use in ancient cultures to now in 2023, there have been changes in how it's made and sold. There are also stories or beliefs about its benefits that companies use in their advertising. This analysis explores how the making and selling of desi ghee has changed over time, as well as the myths or ideas that have been promoted about it.

Let's talk about a special food that's really good for our health, just like how a caring mom looks after us. It's called clarified butter or desi ghee. Desi ghee was something very important in every Indian home. Whether people were cooking a meal or making a sweet treat, desi ghee was a key ingredient they couldn't do without.

When we were kids, our grandma and mom used to make yummy flatbreads like parathas and rotis with lots of desi ghee. At that time, we didn't really think too much about staying healthy like we do now. That's because desi ghee took care of us just like a loving mother does.

But things are different now. Why did our thoughts about desi ghee change? Why do some of us now feel uncertain or suspicious about it? Why do some people worry that their kids might not like the smell of it anymore?

Today on Amisaar Ghee, we're going to explore the history of desi ghee and see how its popularity changed over time. Come along on this trip through history with us.

Desi Ghee In Indian Culture [5000 BC]

Lots of people in India live in villages, even now. Desi ghee has been around in India for thousands of years.

In our ancient beliefs, we see cows as really special. They're like mothers to us because they provide milk, just like how a mom feeds her child. In our Vedic culture, desi ghee is super important.

In our traditional culture, desi ghee is considered sacred and pure. Due to its purity, it is used in rituals such as havans and various religious ceremonies. It is also valued for its benefits and purity.

Desi ghee is mentioned in the Rigveda, where it's seen as a symbol of being pure, smart, and spiritually aware.

But even though desi ghee was really important, it began to vanish from our culture over time. Let's try to figure out why this happened and look into this issue.

Dalda: The Rise & Fall [1930s]

The Rise of Dalda

In 1930, foreign countries noticed that lots of people in India wanted dairy products, but not desi ghee. So, they introduced a brand called 'Dada' under the name 'Vanaspati Ghee' to offer an alternative to desi ghee in the Indian market.

It was made from something called 'hydrogenated vegetable oil'. This oil is produced by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil, turning it into solid fat through a process called hydrogenation.

Dalda was introduced as a less expensive option compared to desi ghee. The company that made Dalda designed it to resemble desi ghee in appearance.

They tried to make it smell, taste, and feel just like desi ghee. But even though it seemed like desi ghee, it wasn't the real thing. This made people wonder why they were getting a cheaper version that seemed similar.

And in no time Dalda became famous among the people, and people started buying it in large quantities, Dalda was found in every house.

The White Revolution [1970s]

But only vanaspati ghee couldn't fulfill the demands of the people. Because ghee is not a part of the food for a person, people also need milk and curd.

Due to this increase in population, there was a huge demand for milk, curd, ghee, and lassi. Therefore, first of all, the supply of milk must be met.

But milk was being produced in very limited quantities in India. To meet the shortage of milk in the country, a program known as Operation Flood was launched on 13 January 1970 by India.

During this operation, foreign cows were imported in large quantities from abroad, which used to give 25-30 liters of milk a day.

It was the world's largest dairy development program, which made India, which was struggling with milk shortage, the world's largest milk-producing country, leaving America behind because of the shortage of milk.

Now, Awareness Of Desi Ghee

We must thank the internet and social media for this awareness. With the birth of the Internet, the gap between the villages and the cities began to fill.

Nowadays, with the internet, we can find details about any product and what it's made of. We're also learning how some ingredients can affect our health.

Before the internet, people usually believed the ads companies showed without questioning them.

Back then, without smartphones or the internet, we didn't investigate much. There was no internet. But today there is the internet and everyone has a smartphone too.

Nowadays, folks understand that Dalda is ghee made from the milk of cows from other countries, and these refined oils can be bad for our health.

Technical Analysis Of Vegetable Ghee, Refined Oil

Let's dig into why our desi ghee wasn't harmful—there's some science behind it. Dalda or vanaspati ghee is made differently; it's hydrogenated vegetable ghee.

It means that they take vegetable fats that aren't saturated and heat them up a lot. Then, they add hydrogen to make them. This process changes them into trans-unsaturated fats.

On the other hand, refined oil contains a significant amount of Monounsaturated Fats and Polyunsaturated Fats, which convert into trans-unsaturated fats when heated.

Trans fats are highly detrimental to heart health. If you use these oils for deep frying, you need to be cautious, as their trans fats can harm your heart, especially.

To sum it up and see why desi ghee vanished from homes, the main reason was industrialization. That made people switch to the cheaper option of Dalda.

The second reason was the advent of the White Revolution, which flooded the market with ghee made from the milk of foreign cows.

Another reason was the arrival of cheap refined oils because of these changes. These three things together made desi ghee less common in our homes.

Conclusion

But now, with the internet, people are learning more. They're realizing how important desi ghee is. Amisaar Ghee has been spreading awareness about desi ghee for so long and we'll keep doing it in the future too.

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