Oshi Ghee began with a Facebook post.
Aashna Ahmed was visiting her parents in Upstate New York. Her mother was making a pot of ghee, the cousin of clarified butter that’s a staple in Bangladeshi families like Ahmed’s.
While ghee has been commonplace in Bangladesh and India for thousands of years, it was having a moment in the U.S., where it has been seen as a “superfood” in recent years as an alternative to cooking oils.
Ahmed thought there was a market for her family’s recipe. She posted in a Facebook group for her neighborhood in Atlanta, where she was living at the time, that she had small-batch ghee available for sale. Within two hours, she had 40 responses from people looking to buy a jar.
“That’s when I knew I had something there,” Ahmed said.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought Ahmed back to Upstate NY and in March 2023, she launched Oshi Ghee with the help of The Commissary in Rochester, the shared-use kitchen and business incubator where she produced her first commercial batches.
Ahmed took part in the Food Spark program in spring 2024. The 10-week program, offered through the New York State Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture at Cornell AgriTech (CoE) and the Cornell Agriculture and Food Technology Park (Tech Farm), allowed Ahmed to complete the eCornell Food Product Development certificate program. Ahmed said the course helped her fine-tune her product and helped her navigate each step, from idea to commercialization. Nearly two years later, she still keeps the course material as a reference.
“Taking this course was at the perfect time of my career,” Ahmed said.
Part of that commercialization growth has meant expanding from producing her own batches of ghee at The Commissary to working with a co-manufacturer. Earlier this year, she began working with Craft Cannery, a Genesee County-based food producer. Ahmed said Craft Cannery owner Paul Guglielmo about working together.
“I love how supportive he is of small Rochester area businesses,” Ahmed said.
This summer also marked the public debut of maple ghee, joining the original and top-selling garlic in the Oshi Ghee lineup. The debut came at the Summer Fancy Food Show, where Oshi Ghee was invited to exhibit as part of the New York State Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture’s incubator.
“The show was amazing and overwhelming in the best way possible,” Ahmed said, adding that her participation in the show has already led to several commercial opportunities, including having her products stocked at the Taste NY Market at Todd Hill, located along the Taconic State Parkway.
Ahmed is working with Guglielmo to scale up production at Craft Cannery, intending to have product ready for larger retailers by the end of the year.
In case that’s not enough, Ahmed also plans to release a new line of jarred curry sauces in 2026. Made with ghee and based on her mother’s recipes, they’ll be available in two varieties: a spicy coconut curry to mix with shrimp, and a milder curry to pair with chicken or beef.
For now, Ahmed is a sole proprietor, but is planning to hire employees as the business continues to grow.
As the company grows, Cornell remains ready to help. Ahmed has worked with the Cornell Food Venture Center (CFVC) on food safety testing for her products and is currently working on a shelf-life study for her maple ghee to ensure shelf stability.
When the time comes to test the jarred curry sauces, she knows where she’ll turn.
“I really don’t know where I’d be today without Cornell’s help,” Ahmed said. “Cornell has played a huge role in growing our business.”
Jacob Pucci is the marketing and communications coordinator for the New York State Center of Excellence for Food and Agriculture at Cornell AgriTech.
