Tasting Notes: Camel Milk

Throughout the course of my cheese class, we've talked about cheeses made from different kinds of milk, including cow's milk, sheep's milk, goat's milk. I shared an article with my students about the Karrayyu nomadic herders in Ethiopia’s Fantalle district where camels are highly prized. And we wondering about making cheese from camel milk.

Well, I finally tracked down some camel milk. Thank you, Desert Farms. But we didn't have time to make camel cheese as it barely arrived in time for the sixth class in the series. So, we just poured and tasted it.

"How does it taste?" you ask. It tasted like milk. Mostly.

Some of the students thought it was salty. Others said it was almost sour or tangy. All noticed that it was more watery - less fatty - than cow's milk.

"Did we like it?" you wonder. Sure did.

The only thing I didn't like was the price. I understand that it's a specialty item...and one that involves a fairly rare-to-the-area animal. But at $10 per cup plus shipping, it's not a viable substitute for milk in our household.