What the words on the label mean, what you can check yourself, and how to compare prices honestly — including ours.
A2 describes the beta-casein protein in the milk. Indian desi breeds — Gir, Sahiwal, Red Sindhi, Tharparkar — give A2 milk; most high-yield crossbred cattle give A1 or a mix. A2 is a statement about the herd, not about quality on its own.
Gir is one of those breeds. It is the most recognised name, so it is also the most freely claimed. The honest question is not "is it A2?" but "which breed, whose herd, and can you show me?"
Bilona is a method: milk to curd, curd churned to butter, butter simmered to ghee. It uses more milk and more hours per litre than separating cream and boiling it, which is the whole reason it costs more. Nobody polices the word, so ask which step is actually being described.
We should say plainly where we stand: Desi By Nature does not own cattle and does not make ghee. We source it, test it independently, and sell it under our name only when it passes. Everything on this page applies to judging us as much as anyone else.
These catch crude adulteration. They will not catch a careful blend — only a laboratory will. That is what the next section is for.
A photograph of a certificate is not proof. A report worth trusting names the laboratory and its NABL accreditation number, carries a date and a batch reference you can match to your jar, and reports at least:
Ask for the report for the batch you are buying, not a report from some batch, some time.
Pack sizes differ between brands, so the only fair comparison is price per litre — and it is worth knowing what else is in the price. Our 2.5 and 5 litre sizes come in a steel dolchi that costs us about ₹800 on its own, which is why they are dearer per litre than the 1 litre glass jar rather than cheaper. Here is our whole range, priced today:
| Ghee | Size | Price | Per litre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desi cow A2 | 500 ml | ₹699 | ₹1,398 |
| Desi cow A2 | 1 litre | ₹1,299 | ₹1,299 · best value |
| Desi cow A2 | 2.5 litre (dolchi) | ₹3,999 | ₹1,600 |
| Desi cow A2 | 5 litre (dolchi) | ₹7,499 | ₹1,500 |
| Gir cow A2 | 250 ml | ₹499 | ₹1,996 |
| Gir cow A2 | 500 ml | ₹897 | ₹1,794 |
| Gir cow A2 | 1 litre | ₹1,698 | ₹1,698 |
| Gir cow A2 | 2.5 litre (dolchi) | ₹4,999 | ₹2,000 |
| Gir cow A2 | 5 litre (dolchi) | ₹8,999 | ₹1,800 |
Prices are read live from our shop as this page loads, so they are never out of date.
For context: when we checked in September 2026, two well-known Indian A2 bilona brands were listing their 1 litre packs at about ₹2,025 and ₹2,090 before coupons. We are not going to tell you their ghee is worse than ours — we have not tested it. We will tell you what we charge, and let you do the arithmetic.
If a brand cannot answer those, the price is not the problem.
No. A2 refers to the beta-casein protein in the milk, and several Indian desi breeds — Gir, Sahiwal, Red Sindhi, Tharparkar and others — give A2 milk. Gir is the best known, which is why it is the most quoted and the most often claimed. Ask which breed, and where the herd is.
Bilona is the long route: milk is set into curd, the curd is churned to butter, and the butter is simmered into ghee. The short route separates cream from milk and boils that instead. Bilona takes more milk and more time per litre, which is why bilona ghee costs more. The word is unregulated, so it is worth asking whether the curd is churned or the cream is.
Three checks cost nothing. Melt a spoonful: real cow ghee melts to a clear golden liquid, not a cloudy one. Refrigerate a little: it should set grainy and uneven rather than into a smooth white block. Rub some between your fingers: it should melt with body heat. None of these is conclusive — they catch crude adulteration, not a careful blend.
It is the standard laboratory test for vanaspati (hydrogenated vegetable fat) in ghee. Indian food regulations require a negative Baudouin result for ghee, and it is the single most useful line on a lab report. A brand that publishes a report should be able to show it.
At minimum: the laboratory's name and its NABL accreditation number, the date, the batch or sample reference, a negative Baudouin test, the Reichert-Meissl and Polenske values (which indicate genuine milk fat), moisture content and free fatty acids. A certificate with no batch reference proves nothing about the jar in your hand.
Not reliably. Compare price per litre rather than per jar, because pack sizes differ, and check what the price includes: a steel container costs several hundred rupees on its own and is part of what you pay for. Then ask what is verified rather than asserted.
Keep the jar closed at room temperature, away from sunlight and moisture, and always use a dry spoon — water is what spoils ghee. It does not need refrigeration. Texture changes with the weather: grainy in the cold, liquid in the heat. Both are normal.