Short answer: Real bilona ghee is made by churning curd, not cream, and is slow-cooked in small batches. You cannot tell by colour or smell alone. Check the ingredient list (milk only), ask how it is made, and look for batch lab results such as the Baudouin test and Reichert Meissl value.
What bilona actually means
Bilona is the traditional slow-churning method of making ghee. We make every one of our ghees this way, in small batches at our own unit in Sonipat.
Signs to look for
- Ingredients: milk only. No preservatives, no colours and no vegetable fat.
- Natural variation: colour and grain can vary slightly from season to season when ghee is minimally processed. A jar that never varies is not a reason to trust it more.
- Testing: a brand that tests every batch and shows what it tests.
Which tests catch adulterated ghee?
| Test | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Milk fat and moisture | Whether the ghee is pure milk fat |
| Baudouin test | Presence of added vegetable oil (should be negative) |
| Reichert Meissl and Polenske values | Whether the fat is genuine milk fat |
| Iodine and saponification values | Fat composition within the legal range |
| Free fatty acid | Freshness and handling |
See a sample report on our lab reports page. The Doodhvale Farms app has lab test results.
How bilona ghee is made, step by step
- Milk is set into curd. The milk is heated, cooled and cultured so that it turns into curd.
- The curd is churned. Slow churning separates the fat as white butter (makkhan) from the buttermilk. This step is what makes the method "bilona". Faster methods separate cream from milk directly and skip the curd.
- The butter is heated slowly. Gentle heating drives off the water and leaves the clear fat, which is the ghee. The browned milk solids that settle are what give properly made ghee its nutty aroma and a slightly grainy texture.
We make every one of our ghees this way, in small batches at our own unit in Sonipat.
What each test actually measures
| Test | What it measures | Why it catches mixing |
|---|---|---|
| Reichert Meissl value | Short-chain fatty acids that dissolve in water, mainly butyric acid | Milk fat is unusually rich in these. Vegetable oils contain almost none, so a low value points to added fat. Our sample: 28.60 (minimum 24.0). |
| Polenske value | Short-chain fatty acids that do not dissolve in water | Complements the Reichert Meissl value. Our sample: 1.20 (range 0.5 to 2.0). |
| Baudouin test | A colour reaction with sesame oil | Sesame oil is the marker added to vegetable fats, so a positive result shows vegetable fat is present. Ours was negative. |
| Butyro-refractometer reading | How the fat bends light | Each fat has a characteristic reading, so a reading outside 40.0 to 44.0 at 40 C is a warning. Our sample: 42.0. |
| Iodine value | The degree of unsaturation in the fat | Many other oils are much higher. Our sample: 31.0 (range 25 to 38). |
| Saponification value | The average size of the fatty acid chains | Shifts when other fats are blended in. Our sample: 216 (range 205 to 235). |
| Moisture and free fatty acid | Water content and fat breakdown | High values mean poor processing or storage. Our sample: 0.18 and 0.28 (limits 0.5 and 2.0). |
The results above are from one sample report: cow ghee, batch SDF2408, tested at an NABL-accredited laboratory. See the lab reports page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I test ghee at home?
Kitchen tricks such as the water, heat or palm tests are not reliable. Only a laboratory test can show whether ghee is mixed.
Why does my ghee colour change from jar to jar?
We process our ghee minimally and keep it close to its natural state, so colour and grain can vary slightly with the season.
What goes into Doodhvale Farms ghee?
Only milk. Nothing is added.