When did human adults start drinking animal milk?

Answer 1

Today, when we say "milk" we usually mean cows' milk, since most milk consumed by human beings is from the cow. But milk from other animals is consumed by people all over the world. Half the milk consumed in India is from the buffalo. Goats' milk is widely used in countries along the Mediterranean, and the milk of reindeer is used as food in Northern Europe.

When did man first begin to drink the milk of animals, and use milk products such as butter and cheese? No one can ever know, since it was before recorded history. Soured milks, butter-like products, and cheese were probably common foods of the people roaming the grasslands of Asia with their sheep and cattle thousands of years ago.

The Bible has many references to milk. Abel, son of Adam, was a "keeper of sheep" and probably consumed milk. The earliest mention of milk in the Bible is Jacob's prediction in 1700 B.C. that Judah's teeth shall be "white with milk.” Canaan was “a land of milk and honey” in 1500 B.C. Job also refers to cheese. But in all these cases the mention of milk implies that it was used much earlier.

We may think that the idea of making concentrated and dry milk is a modern one. Actually, the Tatars prepared concentrated milks in paste, and probably in dry form as early as the year 1200 and used them as food during the raids under Genghis Khan.

The original patent for evaporated milk was granted in 1856, and this type of milk was widely used by soldiers in the Civil War.

About 87 percent of the milk from the cow is water, but the remainder supplies man with a high percentage of his daily requirements in calcium, protein, and vitamins A and B.

Answer 2

Today, when we say "milk" we usually mean cows' milk, since most milk consumed by human beings is from the cow. But milk from other animals is consumed by people all over the world. Half the milk consumed in India is from the buffalo. Goats' milk is widely used in countries along the Mediterranean, and the milk of reindeer is used as food in Northern Europe.

When did man first begin to drink the milk of animals, and use milk products such as butter and cheese? No one can ever know, since it was before recorded history. Soured milks, butter-like products, and cheese were probably common foods of the people roaming the grasslands of Asia with their sheep and cattle thousands of years ago.

The Bible has many references to milk. Abel, son of Adam, was a "keeper of sheep" and probably consumed milk. The earliest mention of milk in the Bible is Jacob's prediction in 1700 B.C. that Judah's teeth shall be "white with milk.” Canaan was “a land of milk and honey” in 1500 B.C. Job also refers to cheese. But in all these cases the mention of milk implies that it was used much earlier.

We may think that the idea of making concentrated and dry milk is a modern one. Actually, the Tatars prepared concentrated milks in paste, and probably in dry form as early as the year 1200 and used them as food during the raids under Genghis Khan.

The original patent for evaporated milk was granted in 1856, and this type of milk was widely used by soldiers in the Civil War.

About 87 percent of the milk from the cow is water, but the remainder supplies man with a high percentage of his daily requirements in calcium, protein, and vitamins A and B.