Thursday, October 8, 2009

Camel....the next big MOO?

A few days ago during my morning ritual of NPR/protocol, a short note on camels' milk and nutrition caught my attention.


Camels' milk is unlikely a familiar ingredient for the palates of the general consumers in the U.S., but half way around the globe people consider it a powerful tonic against many diseases like diabetes and cancer. The Gulf Arabs believe it is an aphrodisiac. Though such health claims would require extensive scientific research, some advocates are determined to bring forth camels' milk into the dairy aisle.


While slightly saltier than cows’ milk, camels' milk consists of almost three times as rich in vitamin C as cow’s milk. It is also known for its significantly higher levels in iron, unsaturated fatty acids and B vitamins. Tapping the market for camel milk, however, involves resolving a series of humps in production, manufacturing and marketing. One problem lies in the milk itself, which has so far not proved to be compatible with the UHT treatment needed to make it long-lasting.

Milking them is yet another challenge; moody camels are known to spit and kick, and mares will give milk only when one of their offspring is nearby. Much respect would be involved when you have dealings with the camels, you can be most certain that they are not more stubborn than cows!


Despite all the hurtles, the world's first camel milk chocolate might be land at chocolatiers near you. The Dubai-based company is aimed to be the "Godiva of the Middle East", and I certainly wouldn't miss to savour a piece.

3 comments:

Cajun Chef Ryan said...

Interesting indeed, wonder if there are any suppliers of this camel milk in the US.

blanche_yih said...

Thanks so much for your comment!

I believe there is currently 1 California-based farm, the Oasis Camel Dairy that distribute camels' milk. It was actually a felony to sell camels' milk in the U.S. until recently.

s. stockwell said...

This is fascinating? really did see many Camels in India but i don't remember them using the milk? and anything is good with chocolate! best, s

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