The last time I casually asked a patron to name a different type of milk other than from cow, the answer I got was strawberry.
While it was a fun light-hearted moment that I will always remember, most people who love their milk-based drinks actually don’t realize how wide their options are in blending their favorite beverages.
I get it.
Cow milk probably has the best taste since it is by far the most popular form of milk being sold at hundreds of cartons every minute.
But maybe… just maybe… cattle is dominating the world of milk because… it is the cheapest to mass produce?
Maybe people generally love it because they have grown up consuming it?
Because when it comes to brewing coffee with milk, I have to say that I can see many people preferring their cappuccinos with a different type of milk flavor if they have tried some other alternatives.
Before we go on, let’s make it clear that I am aware of the different varieties of regular cow milk:
- Regular fresh milk or whole milk
- 2% milk (reduced Fat)
- Low fat Milk (reduced fat)
- Organic milk
- Skim milk or fat free milk
- Lactose-free milk
- Flavored milk
- Raw milk
- Long life milk or UHT milk (Ultra-high temperature processed)
- Powdered milk
These describe the various different ways of processing before the liquid ends up on the tables of consumers.
I’m not referring to them.
When I say a different type of milk, I’m talking about milk originating from sources other than cattle.
I consider myself lucky to have tried lattes blended with most of the varieties of milk listed below. It’s my goal to taste everyone of them with an espresso base one day.
Different types of milk can be typically categorized into 2 groups.
- Animal based
- Plant based
You might be XXX
Animal based milks
You might be shocked at some of the animals people harvest milk from.
Goat
The most common type of milk after cattle is goat.
Goat milk comes with various health benefits including weight loss, improving digestion, strengthening immunity, etc.
It is even cheaper to produce than cow milk as the production process form goat to bottle don’t include the homogenization process.
So the question is why is it that goat milk is nowhere close to the mass availability of cattle milk? After all, it is commonly used in making a variety of dairy products like cheese, yogurt and ice-cream.
Well… this could be due to certain studies conducted by respected institutions that suggest that goat milk is not ideal for children as kids have very special nutritional needs for development… which is found in cow milk.
Thus, the wide distribution of the latter.
However, adult bodies are unlikely to suffer malnutrition from goat milk, and in fact might even find them better.
Anyway, even if you like goat milk, it can be hard to get.
Sheep milk
Sheep milk is weirdly delicious and comes with attractive health benefits like controlling cholesterol levels, promoting stronger bones, and keeping blood pressure down, etc.
It contains an impressive array of nutrients like protein, minerals, vitamins and carbohydrates.
Sheep farms can be found in various counties for the many products that can be harvested from them.
The problem with sheep is that they only lactate for a maximum of 5 months a year. And that is really pushing the boundaries. You’d be lucky to get close to 4 months of milking.
While they are getting more popular with each passing year, there is no chance of it becoming a mainstay in the supermarkets.
Buffalo milk
Buffalo milk is extremely rich in calcium and protein. Especially when you put up the numbers side-by-side with regular cow’s milk.
It is extremely creamy due to it’s fat content.
I know this can sound fat and not ideal for those watching their weight. But imagine a cafe latte fused with this and you could be all-in to grab a second cup.
The challenge with production is that buffalo don’t produce a lot of milk.
And the little that is harvested, most of it goes into kitchen ingredients for preparing good food.
Camel milk
The nutritional value of camel’s milk is off the charts.
I can’t say that I’m surprised knowing that camels store a lot of nutrients in the body so that it can last for a long time.
The issue here, as you might expect, is supply.
As if that is not enough reason for it to be expensive, it also costs a lot to harvest.
This also means that pirating can be widespread.
If you manage to find a credible supplier, don’t be afraid to charge 5 times the normal price of a latte for a camel milk latte.
Plant based milks
To tell you the truth, I’ve never heard about some of these until some patrons inquired about them.
Soya bean milk
Soya bean milk is so tasty with it’s unique flavor. And it can make a heavenly cappuccino if you put some heart into the froth.
It is probably ranked second to the cow in terms of how easy it is to obtain off the shelf.
If you have your own coffee bar, I strongly recommend that you experiment with some blends with soya bean milk.
You could just discover a winner that takes your establishment to the next level.
Do tell me if you do, because I will want to try it as I love soya beans.
Almond milk
Because of almond being categorized as a superfood, interest in almond milk has been rising with each passing year.
They are also delicious on it’s own.
Saying that, I do know of people who are immediately put off by it’s aroma.
But almond milk lovers tend to be fiercely loyal. In a manner in that they would be willing to try anything that is made with almond flavor.
Much like peanut butter lovers.
Rice milk
Rice milk is one that divides opinion.
Either you absolutely fall heads over heels for it, or you’d loathe it and never wants to hear it’s name ever again.
Me? I belong to the latter camp.
Nevertheless, you could very well fall into this niche market.
Oat milk
Another superfood making an entry here.
There is a real trend of going healthy with the foods we consume these days. So much so that consumers are willing to pay obscene pricing for foodstuff with the word “organic” printed on the packaging.
This trend is also a reason why food products made with superfoods are in high demand.
Marketer just know how to hit that hot button with such products by emphasizing the names of such ingredients.
Oat milk is also one that is quietly gaining market share in the consumer market.
But the trend of oat milk is clearly skewing towards… making them at home.
This makes sense as the process is pretty simple as long as you don’t mind getting your hands wet. It’s not like animal milk where you need to have a cow in the yard to milk her.
Hemp milk
Following the home-made plant-based milk trend, hemp milk is made from hemp seeds that are soaked in water and grounded.
The process is so easy that all you need are the seeds, a blender, and water.
Just be mindful that most people who blend their own hemp milk add flavoring like vanilla extract or sweeteners.
So if you are into the natural-foods trend, you might not like the taste of hemp milk without artificial flavoring.
Flax milk
Another superfood making an entry.
Flaxseeds are known in some circles as the original superfood. That’s saying a lot when we consider the types of healthy foods on the list.
It is made by mixing cold-pressed flax oil with filtered water.
It won’t be far fetched to suggest that the creation of flax milk arose from the demand for superfoods.
Cashew milk
Among the types of milk commonly consumed by pure vegans, cashew is one of the favorites.
Making it is easier than almond milk as it don’t require straining.
It is also super creamy and delightful when blended into smoothies.
I like this with tea.
Hazelnut milk
I just need to add this here as a few people have recommended it to me.
Maybe I will find time to make it with a simple recipe soon.
Flavored milk
Since we are talking about milk that is not the regular types we are so used to, we should spare a minute for the flavored ones too.
The 3 most popular flavored cow milk are strawberry, chocolate, and banana.
If you are getting creative with the menu at the cafe or at home, try mixing it up a bit with flavored milk.
From experience, I can safely say that you’d never know how great or horrible a drink can be until you’ve actually tasted it.