Has ghee tea dethroned ghee coffee? We asked a nutritionist if the latest ghee fad has any merit to it
Ghee has undergone quite the glow up in the public's conscience. After ghee coffee, the internet has been waking up to the virtues of ghee tea. But what is it?
Gone are the days when ghee was simply seen as calorie-dense clarified butter, which weight watchers and health nuts had to steer clear of. Thanks to the booming network of niche information, ghee has had a complete overhaul in terms of it's nutritional rep and is now seen as an external and internal miracle worker, of course, when consumed in moderation. Bulletproof coffee — which is simply some black coffee laced with ghee has had many resurgences on the center stage with most hailing everything it can do for the body if committed to. Now, the spotlight seems to be on ghee tea.
But first things first, how do we make it? There are multiple variations to this. While nutritionist, Dr. Shilpa Arora prefers to brew some black tea and add a teaspoon of desi ghee to it, other concoctions suggest adding some ajwain and sugar to the mix to make it more flavourful. As a matter of fact, some versions of this straightforward recipe also include simply adding some ghee to your typical doodh wali chai.
What's the point?
That first cup of morning chai is too precious to tamper with. So switching to ghee tea only makes sense if there are some great benefits that will follow suit. Nutritionist and Ayurvedic doctor, Dr. Anjana Kalia, breaks it down for us. "Ghee is a very good source of fat-soluble vitamins like A ,D and E, along with being a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids . Having ghee in tea will overtime help in enhancing metabolism as well as our skin's radiance. Not just this, it also acts as a lubricant and can work wonders for our joints", she says. Switching to ghee tea in the mornings, also has the potential to enhance the body's absorption process as well as act as an immunity booster, Dr. Kalia confirmed. Her personal suggestion would be to brew some black tea with cinnamon and consume it with ghee.
When asked about the difference in takeaways from ghee tea and ghee coffee, she elaborated, "Both ghee tea and ghee coffee are rich in antioxidants. Coffee being high in caffeine can lead to anxiety or jitters in some people especially those with hypertension or migraine issues. In such cases, ghee tea makes for a better option".
Will you be giving ghee tea a try?