Bilona ghee is the traditional method of producing aromatic ghee. This method is slow, elaborate, and requires great manual time and effort. But processed ghee is prepared with the quick modern method using machines. And hence the Bilona ghee has more nutritional value compared to the processed ghee.
A2 Bilona ghee prepared with Sahiwal grass-feed cow’s milk through Bilona possess. Nowadays people are more concerned with health benefits and diet. So people are turning back to consuming ghee prepared with the traditional process. Let’s see why the Bilona ghee is superior and how it retains its nutritional value.
What is Bilona ghee?
Bilona ghee is a method of making ghee with a wooden beater known as Bilona. In the Bilona method, a wooden beater is used to churn out butter from the curd manually and then the butter is cooked using a mud pot on a slow flame to make ghee.
In this modern world, people make things easier with machines to do more work. If you notice keenly you can see that idly batter prepared with the grinder and the traditional process differs by taste and has more nutrients.
We always wonder seeing how our grand people are healthier even during the olden days. This makes us understand how our lifestyle changes have a great impact on our health benefits. Similarly, ghee’s nutritional value decreases when processed through machines. A2 Bilona ghee has many health benefits and nutritional value.
According to Ayurveda, the traditional desi ghee is much superior in taste, aroma, and nutrition. A2 desi ghee is produced using the Vedic Bilona method.
Bilona Ghee Making Process
There are 4 steps involved in the Bilona ghee process
Step 1: Boiling A2 Milk
The milk is collected from the A2 Sahiwal cow which is grown in a safe and healthy environment. Then the raw milk obtained is then filtered and boiled to eliminate the bacteria and the impurities present in it. Then the milk is cooled till it is just warm to make curd.
Step 2: Making Curd from A2 desi cow milk
When the milk is just warm it is poured into the earthen pots. To convert the milk into curd, Either starters like yogurt, cheese, or a spoonful of curd are added to the milk. Leaving it overnight in the earthen pot the milk turns into curd.
Step 3: Churning the Curd with Bilona
Now when the curd is formed in the earthen pots it is then transferred into the bigger earthen or wooden pot which has wooden Bilona with a rope wrapped around it and free ends are held with hands and turned back and forth to churn the curd into butter manually.
This Bilona process churns out butter and it is scooped out leaving the buttermilk behind. It is a time-consuming process and requires great manpower to make butter.
Step 4: Preparation of ghee from the butter
The butter is separated carefully leaving the buttermilk behind and it is then transferred to another pot. This butter is heated on a low flame to make milk solids separate from ghee. In order to heat slowly, wood is used in the Vedic ages to make a fire.
The Bilona ghee process requires low flame heating and it is a long process. As a result, the milk solids turn reddish brown and settle at the bottom. Now the clear Bilona ghee with aromatic floats above.
Read more : Traditional Bilona Churned Ghee
Ghee Market Overview
A research report in 2015, delivers that 30% of the milk produced in India goes to the production of Ghee. The ghee market in India constantly increases and reached a value of INR 2,624 billion in the year 2021. IMARC Group forecasts the ghee market to reach INR 4,787 by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 10.5% by 2027.
With increasing awareness of health benefits and diet, people look into the Bilona ghee benefits in all aspects. This increases the demand for ghee in India as well as globally. In addition to that, the growth of the food industry and increasing population contribute to ghee’s demand. Bilona ghee dominates the ghee market because of its benefits and it is considered Ayurvedically effective.
Why A2 Bilona ghee is costly?
It is important to note that grass-fed cow milk is used rather than buffalo milk to make the same amount of ghee. And this Bilona ghee process is time-consuming and prepared with great care.
Though the amount that is required to prepare processed ghee is less, it loses its nutritional value. A little amount of A2 desi ghee is prepared with great care taking more time and effort. And hence it is costlier with many nutritional values preserved in it.
In the case of ghee produced by the industrial method is either by the cream of milk or butter. The butter used in the industries is prepared with motor churned raw milk of grain or grass-fed jersey cows or buffaloes. This makes the Bilona ghee and its preparation method special and its demand is constantly increasing.
Desi cow breeds like Gir and Sahiwal are more in demand and it has more nutritional value than that Jersey cows or buffaloes. These native cow breeds don’t give as much milk as other hybrid cows or buffaloes.
Do you wonder why Bilona ghee’s price is high? But it actually poses enormous health benefits and comes with enriched quality. Bilona ghee is a completely involved manual process in which 1-litre ghee is prepared using 27-28 litres of A2 cow milk and so the Bilona ghee is expensive.
Read more : Indian Breed Cow: The Life Nourisher
Bilona ghee Price and its factors
Generally, the cost of Bilona ghee depends on three factors as follows,
- The Type of Animal
The milk content differs from one animal to the other. It varies in the fat content, milk produced, and the cost of milk. The ghee produced from the normal hybrid cow or buffalo differs from the milk produced from the A2 desi cow and Sahiwal cows.
It is clear that due to the time consumed, manual effort, and demand of the milk from native breed cows (A2 desi cow and Sahiwal cow), the price of the Bilona desi cow ghee is higher compared to that of other hybrid cows or buffaloes.
Commercial and industrial production of ghee does not prefer native cow breeds as they are not productive. The processed ghee from the market we buy is either prepared by the mixture of hybrid cow milk or buffalo milk or it may even be adulterated.
Generally, the price of A1 cow ghee is around INR 500 to INR 800 per litre. But the A2 Bilona cow ghee ranges between INN 900 – 4000 per litre. The price of buffalo ghee is around INR 400 per litre. In the case of adulteration, the price is even lower around INR 250 per litre.
- Feeding of Cows
There is a difference in how the cows are grown on the farm. It is essential that cows should be protected and grown in a safe and pleasant environment. As the feed, safety, and environment are good, the health of the cow is also good and the milk produced from the cow is healthier.
The animal feed can be taken care of by the charitable goshalas, or the framer himself feeds the animal with grain or grass or even left for free grazing on grass. The effort of the farmer is required to take great care of the cows and hence the price depends on the cost of feed.
- Process of Ghee Production
It depends on whether the ghee production is made from raw milk cream or from raw milk by machines or the Bilona. It is well known that Biloma is manual churning, it requires more effort and manpower and more cost. The production of ghee matters that decides how the ghee benefits your health in all aspects with higher nutritional value.
Bilona Ghee Benefits
A2 Bilona ghee is enriched with omega 3, 6, and 9, antioxidants, Vitamin A, D, E, and K which are essential for the health of our body. Consuming a spoonful of ghee helps to be healthy and active in your day-to-day life. Ayurveda considers Bilona ghee benefits human health by balancing tridosha specifically pitta. Some of the benefits of Bilona ghee are listed below-
- Improves digestive health
- Recommended in weight loss diet
- Good Healing property
- Detoxifies the body by removing unwanted impurities
- Improves eyesight
- Tastier and more fragrant
- Higher smoke point
- Improves immunity
- Anti-cancer properties
- Keeps heart healthy
- Better against inflammation
- Improve Better cognitive skills and growth
- Keeps Hormonal balance
Read more : Desi Cow Ghee: a spoonful of goodness and health
Conclusion
Bilona Ghee is our traditional ghee that has higher nutritional value and health benefits. Bilona ghee is prepared with great effort and great care and hence it values the money we spend. Health is the most important wealth that we must acquire in our life. Live a healthy and active life with A2 Bilona ghee.
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