ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Aashna Ahmed says that ghee has always been a staple of life for South Asians.
What You Need To Know
Every May, the month dedicated to Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage, acknowledges the histories, cultures and contributions of AAPI communities nationwide
Many cultures have found food to be a universal language to invite others into their communities
Aashna Ahmed is sharing not just the flavor but the history and culture behind ghee
“It’s what we to cook with and what we use to do everything with,” OSHi GHEE founder Aashna Ahmed said. “It’s something that I’ve been eating from my whole life, and I knew that I wanted to start a company that was rooted in my culture somehow. It has kind of just popped up in recent years as a new trendy superfood. And, with that said, I wanted to make sure that this product was represented right.”
Ghee has been deeply intertwined with the region’s history, religion and daily lives, including Ahmeds’.
“Growing up in upstate New York and being a minority was hard,” Ahmed said. “This company is kind of making up for all those lost years of not appreciating where I came from. There are people out there who want who are curious, who do want to learn about different cultures, different ideas and I also feel like the way that I’ve packaged this product, too, has also invited people to be like, this is very interesting looking. It’s not intimidating looking. It’s really fun. It’s really pretty.”
A first-generation of immigrant parents from Bangladesh, Ahmed has turned a Bengali family recipe of ghee into her business, OSHi GHEE.
“There’s so many benefits and once you try it, you’re hooked,” Ahmed said. “It is very surreal to me. I feel so humbled and it just makes me so happy that people have a piece of my culture in their homes, and they’re willing to, you know, try something new.”
From maple, to garlic and the original ghee, ghee is known for being shelf-stable and having a high smoke point.
“I love that I can share this product with people who have never even heard of a product like this before,” Ahmed said. “It doesn’t burn like olive oil and butter does in a pan. So you can get your pans really nice and hot, like your stainless-steel pans or your cast-iron pans.”
Packaging her products at the Craft Cannery in Bergen, she is sharing a household staple from her home to hundreds of others across the nation.
“That modern twist to a staple would definitely invite people to want to try it,” Ahmed said. “Making a garlic-infused and a maple-infused ghee, I feel like that has also invited a lot of people to want to try it. Like, everyone loves garlic, right? Our garlic has easily become our bestseller. And it’s interesting because that is not the original product that I grew up eating. It was the original ghee, but I knew that garlic ghee would be a hit. It’s very similar to garlic butter. And it has it’s our bestseller.”
It’s even falling into the hands of Martha Stewart.
“Oh, my God, that was so cool,” Ahmed said. “I got this email saying Martha Stewart wants to feature your maple ghee because it is the first of its kind to hit the market. Yeah, I am still kind of processing that.”
Throughout history, the bond that South Asian households have with ghee has remained as strong as it has been for centuries. And Ahmed hopes the product deserves a place in everyone’s pantry.
“From my family to yours, from our home to yours, with love and what unites us,” Ahmed said. “So I just want to make sure everyone knows this is very rooted in family and tradition. It’s unbelievable to see how AAPI-owned businesses have come to be in this city. And we all have something very special to offer. It makes you feel like you’re just part of something bigger. It is just something special that we all share. And, yeah, I think it’s just important to not lose this part of ourselves.”
OSHi GHEE continues to expand, now selling its product in 30 stores and shipping nationwide. For more information on the product, you can visit here.
Dining and Cooking