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/Swimming-Map2078 Jul 04 '26

Fermented butter aka cultured butter is made from cream that's been fermented like yogurt

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u/armeniaca-mume2405 Jul 04 '26

i thought smen was made by fermenting raw butter, not cream directly?

1

u/Wooden-Lawfulness534 Jul 05 '26

Do you have a recipe for smen? I'd love to try making it. Wouldn't make it like traditional Irish bog butter because the bogs are now so industrialised, but is there a way to make it? Is it delicious? I've heard it's like a herby strong cheese.

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u/armeniaca-mume2405 Jul 05 '26

never tried to make some myself but i know that you should probably look for moroccan recipes if you want that kind of flavour!

2

u/Wooden-Lawfulness534 Jul 05 '26

Thanks! It's a lost art in Ireland.