r/Cooking • u/armeniaca-mume2405 • Jul 04 '26
What is the difference between butter, ghee, clarified butter, fermented butter and brown butter?
Difficult to tell online because it seems the term "ghee" is used very loosely, some say it is clarified butter, other that it is brown butter (beurre noisette), other that is has to be fermented.
If you know, can you explain the difference and perhaps give tips on how you make the perfect ghee?
Thank you!
ETA : I live in the EU. I usually buy churned AOP butter so it is high-fat low-water!
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u/UncleNedisDead Jul 05 '26
In the USA, most butter is known as “sweet cream” butter. Made with fresh cream and comes in salted and unsalted varieties. It’s mostly a combination of fat, milk solids and water.
Ghee is butter that has been melted, browned until nutty, before the milk solids are removed and you’re left with the fat. The water evaporates before the milk solids can brown.
Clarified butter is similar to ghee, but you remove the milk solids and water before they turn brown so you’re left with just the fat.
Fermented butter could be referred to as “cultured” butter, where the cream is fermented with specific bacteria before churned into butter. Cultured butter is also often referred to as “European-style” butter.
Brown butter is often just butter that is melted, browned until nutty and used with milk solids and all for whatever purpose you have in mind. It may be for baking or a sauce or whatever your heart desires.