A nutritious liquid from mammals — primarily cow, goat, sheep, buffalo — consumed worldwide as both fluid drink and base for cheese, yogurt, butter, and countless other dairy products.
Lactose tolerance is the exception
Most adult mammals can’t digest lactose — including most adult humans. About 65% of adults globally are lactose-intolerant, with rates over 90% in East Asian populations and under 10% in Northern European populations.
The tolerance came from a relatively recent genetic mutation that spread among populations with long dairying traditions. Northern European, Maasai (Kenya), and some Middle Eastern populations evolved adult lactase persistence over the past 7,500 years.
Beyond cow
Cow milk dominates global production, but other species are commercially significant:
- Buffalo — the milk of choice in much of South Asia (mozzarella di bufala in Italy)
- Goat — easier to digest for many lactose-sensitive people; common in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dairying
- Sheep — richer fat content, prized for cheese (roquefort, manchego, pecorino)
- Camel, yak, reindeer, horse — regional products in their respective traditional ranges
Plant milks
The 2010s-2020s saw an explosion of plant-based “milks” — almond, soy, oat, coconut, rice, hemp. None are botanically milk, but they’re commercially classified as milk substitutes. Oat milk in particular has captured significant market share since 2019, driven by environmental concerns about dairy farming.
Find more foods by letter
Milk starts with M and ends with K. Browse other foods along the same letter.
Foods that contain a letter from "Milk":