Frequently asked questions

Our ghee has one dairy ingredient: clarified butter made from cow’s milk, with no added colours, vegetable oils, or preservatives.

Our milk comes from cows whose feeding is centred on grass and seasonal forage. Because mountain feeding changes with weather and pasture availability, we describe the farming system transparently rather than suggesting every season is identical.

We use the traditional Bilona method: milk is set into curd, the curd is churned with a bilona to separate butter, and the butter is clarified patiently in small batches. Controlled heat removes moisture and separates the milk solids while developing the ghee’s buttery, gently nutty aroma.

Feed, season, and temperature can naturally affect ghee. It may range from pale gold to deeper yellow and may be liquid, firm, smooth, or grainy without those differences alone indicating a quality problem.

It can generally be kept tightly closed in a cool, dry, dark place. Use a clean, dry spoon and follow the storage directions and best-before date printed on your jar.

It connects our ghee to farms, people, seasonal forage, and dairy heritage in the Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh. We do not present altitude or origin alone as proof of purity or a health benefit.

Bilona describes a preparation method: milk is cultured into curd, the curd is churned to separate butter, and the butter is clarified. A1 and A2 describe genetic variants of beta-casein, a milk protein. They are different concepts. Properly clarified ghee is at least 99.5% milk fat under the Indian standard, so it contains very little non-fat material; an A2 label does not show that the ghee was made by the Bilona method.

Sources: FSSAI standard for ghee and milk-fat products · Systematic review of A1 beta-casein and human health

No direct clinical evidence establishes that A2 ghee is healthier, purer, or easier to digest than otherwise comparable ghee. A1 and A2 refer to beta-casein in milk. Research suggesting digestive differences has studied protein-containing milk, while clarification removes nearly all milk protein from ghee. Source, adulteration control, fat composition, processing, freshness, and storage are more useful finished-product considerations.

Sources: Milk A1 beta-casein and health outcomes: systematic review · FSSAI standard for ghee and milk-fat products

Ghee yield depends mainly on the milk’s fat percentage and on processing losses. As a useful estimate, milk containing about 4–6% fat may require roughly 18–25 litres to produce 1 kg of ghee; one litre may therefore yield only around 40–60 g. A curd-first Bilona process also adds culturing, churning, heating, filtration, labour, energy, quality control, and small-batch costs. Exact yield and price cannot be inferred from the word “Bilona” alone.

Sources: FAO smallholder dairy processing reference · Government dairy-industry assessment reference

Bilona describes how the ghee is made, not a proven medical benefit. Ghee is an energy-dense dairy fat and contains substantial saturated fat. Replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat can lower LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular risk, so quantity and the overall dietary pattern matter more than the Bilona label. Anyone managing high LDL cholesterol or cardiovascular disease should follow individual advice from a qualified clinician or dietitian.

Sources: WHO guideline on saturated and trans-fatty acid intake

Taste, aroma, colour, graininess, melting behaviour, and viral “home tests” cannot prove purity. Check the ingredient list, sealed packaging, batch details, best-before date, and FSSAI licence information. Reliable detection of added vegetable oils or other adulterants requires validated laboratory methods such as the FSSAI methods for milk-fat products. A2 status, breed, colour, price, and the word “Bilona” are not purity tests.

Sources: FSSAI manual of methods for dairy products

A2 is a beta-casein genotype, not a guarantee attached to every animal of a named breed. Indian indigenous cattle have a high frequency of the A2A2 genotype in population studies, but individual animals can differ. A reliable claim about a particular cow or milk supply requires genotype or validated milk testing rather than assuming status from breed alone.

Sources: ICAR research summary on beta-casein variants in Indian cattle · ICAR-NBAGR cattle genomics and A1/A2 testing

Yes. In the traditional curd-first process, safely handled milk is heated, cooled to a suitable culturing temperature, inoculated with curd, and allowed to set. The curd is chilled and churned to recover butter; the butter is then heated gently until water has evaporated and the milk solids separate, before careful filtration into a clean, dry container. Good hygiene and controlled heating are essential, and hot fat can cause serious burns.