using camel's milk for income, Christian Science Monitor

[verte76]

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0901/p01s03-woaf.html

 

[yolland]

I was once offered chai brewed with camel's milk in a village in Rajasthan...I would never have known, except that I'm allergic to cow's milk (but not other milks) and thus always ask what kind of milk it is in whatever I'm being offered (and have my own personal handwritten, pocket travel reference card reminding me how to ask this question, and explain that cow's milk makes me sick, in some 30 languages by now). My hosts giggled with embarrassment as they explained it was camel's milk, which immediately made me so curious that I asked if I could try it straight; this made them giggle even more, but they complied--going out of their way to make clear to me that they would NEVER dream of offering straight camel's milk to an "honored" guest like myself, but since I was insisting on being one of these kooky Western tourists with with puzzlingly little regard for my own dignity, they'd humor me. Ironically, the flavor reminded me very much of some of the savory varieties of lassi (flavored milk or buttermilk drinks) that are so popular throughout India (and offered to guests with pride, when made with cow or water buffalo milk)--a little salty, not very sweet, much lighter than goat's milk but quite good. Like the British engineer-turned-dairy-owner mentioned in the article, I found myself thinking, What a shame they regard this stuff as an embarrassing badge of poverty and cultural impoverishment unsuited for others--it tastes just fine, and I certainly wouldn't hesitate to offer it to my guests, much less go out of my way to buy expensive cow's milk for them instead.

This bit from the article made me laugh though:

Her innovative attempts to branch into cheese, for example, have been bogged down in red tape. Given that camel milk doesn't curdle naturally, and that the cool, damp conditions needed for cheesemaking seem to exist only in mirages here on the edge of the Sahara Desert, it is remarkable that she managed to create a fromage de chamelle. With the appearance of a rather square Camembert but the taste of a tangy goat's cheese, it has had stores like Harrods of England licking their lips. But EU regulations means it cannot be exported. "It's quite ironic, really," Abeiderrahmane chuckles. "Because, despite the rules, most of the cheese makes it to Europe now - it just happens through people's suitcases."

This is part of why I feel ambivalent about things like the Slow Food movement, at least when exported to urbanized Anglo-Americans far removed from any sort of traditional farm-to-market network--too often, the products ironically wind up becoming the sole province of well-to-do foodies with lots of spare cash to indulge their culinary adventures, which would seem to undercut the vision of the movement in the big picture.

 

[anitram]

yolland, how did you go about figuring out you could have non-cow milk?

I have horror stories myself involving cow's milk and worse yet, yogurt, and I've just basically tended to stay away from any form of milk alltogether. With some of those after effects, you're not too keen on experimenting, LOL.

 

[sulawesigirl4]

I had some excellent camel cheese when I visited Timbuktu. It's tangy and crumbly and was excellent with croisants and jam.

 

[yolland]

Originally posted by anitram

yolland, how did you go about figuring out you could have non-cow milk?

Through trial and error...aided by knowing from experience that a small--and I mean SMALL--amount of cow's-milk product, particularly in lower-casein forms such as butter or cream, would not likely cause me anything worse than bad congestion and a headache. (Larger amounts cause hives in my throat and the need for an epi shot.) So, I started by cautiously trying a few sips of goat's milk, noting no ill effects, increasing the amount a little and noting the same result, then going from there. Goat, sheep, and camel milk have all gone over well. Water buffalo milk, I did not have success with, perhaps because they're so closely related to cows...so, no mozzarella di bufala for me. I would be wary of trying yak's milk for the same reason. I've never had the opportunity to try reindeer, mare, moose or donkey milk, although there are places where people drink these as well.

Regardless, I never travel without my Epipen--as you know, if one is prone to anaphylatic-type reactions at all, one should never assume that just because no such reaction has occurred in a while, that it therefore won't happen again. It is true though in a significant number of cases that people with allergies to cow's casein prove not to be allergic to goat/sheep/etc. casein, i.e., they are allergic only to milks of the genus Bos. If you're at least curious about the possibilities for experimenting, which being an intrepid traveler you probably are, then I would suggest first asking your allergist what s/he thinks, weighing in your own experience of how quickly and intensely and from how much exposure your reactions set in, having your epi ready, and going from there. Always try lower-casein products (e.g.--not cheese!) first. Admittedly I did not consult with an allergist first myself, but that was risky and stupid--s/he may well know things about the biochemical patterns evinced by your past reactions that you should know but don't.