OG Ghee

Vreshfoods founder Vresh Nagarajan likes to call ghee “caramelized butter.” It’s the perfect descriptor. This staple ingredient for Indian cuisine sits somewhere between clarified and brown butter and boasts numerous benefits — from a higher smoke point to being nearly lactose-free thanks to the removal of milk solids during the clarifying process, essentially making it a buttery option for the dairy-intolerant.

Ghee has yet to reach the same level of fame in Western cuisine as soy sauce or kimchi, but Nagarajan believes half the battle is educating the masses. It’s part of the inspriation behind his OG Ghee — that, and the fact that people who subscribed to his Fresh with Vresh at-home meal kits couldn’t get enough of it. “I got a lot of feedback from tons of folks who were like, ‘Can I just buy the ghee from you?’” Nagarajan says.

The ghee can be used to baste a steak, or for shallow-frying your favourite food. In any situation, it’s sure to enhance the flavour. “At the end of the day, it’s a substitute for butter,” Nagarajan says.

$17 to $26
vreshfoods.com

What the judges said:
“OG Ghee has truly been a game-changer in my culinary journey. This product has brought a delightful touch to my everyday cooking, and its smooth texture and rich flavour effortlessly enhance the taste of my dishes, whether I’m making a curry, pan-frying an egg or throwing together a pasta dish.” -Chanry Thach