By Ranita Ray
Dairy products come from more than simply cows. Humans have been drinking the milk of many animals, including goats, sheep, buffalo, and even horses, since prehistoric times. On World Milk Day, let's learn about 10 animal milk sources that humans have been consuming besides cows.
Camel milk commercial potential is from 5-20 litres per day. Warm-climate residents benefit from its milk's high caloric and nutritional content.
About one-fifth of all milk produced comes from buffaloes. They're the main dairy animals in India and Pakistan. Water buffalo milk is used to make a unique Philippine dessert.
About 2% of the world's milk supply comes from goats. A staple of French cooking, goat cheese is only one of the numerous kinds of cheese made in France from goat's milk.
The percentage of solids in sheep's milk is greater. Sheep's milk has more of all 10 amino acids than cow's milk. Feta is a famous cheese made from sheep's milk.
In some countries, yak milk replaces cow's milk since yaks can survive extreme cold. Since yaks produce more milk in summer than winter, they are often turned into butter and cheese for year-round use.
Some populations in northern Eurasia and the taiga depend on reindeer milk. Fat and protein are rich in reindeer milk. It's also used in contemporary Finnish cheeses like leipäjuusto.
The nutrient density of donkey milk has been touted for centuries. Several cheese types, particularly the Greek kind known as feta, are made from donkey's milk.
A moose produces one to six litres of milk daily. Sweden, Russia, and Canada manufacture it commercially. Moose cheese may cost up to $500 per pound.
Horse milk has been used medicinally in Russia and Central Asia for centuries. Mongolians have been making kumis, also known as airag, a fermented horse milk drink, for millennia.