World Milk Day

As its name, World Milk Day is a day dedicated to milk.

It is a well-known fact that milk is rich in calcium, a mineral that helps strengthen teeth and healthy bones. June 1st is the day set aside to celebrate World Milk Day. And, of course, this is a celebration that can take place anywhere in the world, as milk is a universal food!

The use of milk in foods and beverages has been around for thousands of years. As most people can appreciate, dairy is an integral part of most people's daily lives and there's an entire industry that revolves around it.

Milk is a liquid food rich in nutrients such as calcium. It is a food product mainly used by mammals in the neonatal period. Although, in the case of humans, people tend to consume it in adulthood, as most adults can digest the lactose in milk.

Of course, milk is not just for drinking. It is an essential ingredient for dairy foods such as butter, ice cream, ice cream and cheese. Milk can also be found as an ingredient used in other foods, such as breads, cakes, cereals, desserts and more.

There's no denying that dairy has become a staple of most people's diets these days. It is also one of the cheapest food products to buy, given the scale of industrial dairy production in the world. Some of the largest dairy producers are the United States, India, and China.

History of World Milk Day

Today, we try to answer the age-old question: what did the first guy who drank milk think? While his thinking may have been lost over time, we do have some knowledge of how milk became a common and stable source of nutrition for early humans. Although humans began drinking milk after the animals domestication in the Neolithic Age around 9000–7000 BC, lactose tolerance had been disappeared in adults in the history of all mankind before this age. Until a later genetic mutation allowed us to drink milk, early humans mostly ate fermented, easier-to-digest dairy products.

Milk became an important part in many cultures because of spiritual and logical reasons. For example, for the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Sumerians, milk was an important mythological element. Some people in West Africa believe that the universe began with a drop of milk. The Mongols traveled and brought dried horse milk which would be reconstituted and kept nutrients during long journeys.

Milk is revered as much as it is mocked. While early Buddhists in Japan mocked avocado eaters, Norse people were seen as disgusted for consuming reindeer milk. In Rome, milk was considered a low-class beverage, consumed only by peasants who had no other choice.

The next chapter in the history of milk was industrialization. Although most countries and cultures have used milk, many are not close enough to dairy farms to enjoy it. Go to the railway. Suddenly, the demand for milk in urban places both London and Paris had skyrocketed surprisingly. Importing from the countryside has turned milk into a big market. During the 1800s, there were many innovations surrounding dairy, from breweries opening milk factories to supply grain that was fed to cows, to the invention of vaccines by observing how the dairy cows were born.

Milk has clearly had a tremendous impact on our society, but the demand and production of milk has changed dramatically in recent years. In 2016, milk was overproduced in some countries and many countries, including China, stopped importing milk. In recent years, many dairy companies have filed for bankruptcy due to the trend of shifting to alternative, non-dairy milks.

Some truths about Milk

• Every day, a cow will produce more than six gallons of milk

It is unbelievable that a cow can produce about 6.3 gallons of milk per day. It means there is up to 350,000 glasses of milk in its lifetime.

• Americans consume a lot of milk

In a typical year, the average American will consume about 25 gallons of milk per year.

• Salt it up!

To keep milk fresh for a little longer, a great trick is to add a little salt - the right ratio is a pinch of salt per quart of milk.

• No shortage of milk

Every year, about 1,000 new dairy products are added to the market!

• Milkman first appeared in 1942

As part of World War 2 dairy conservation measures, home deliveries of milk began in 1942.

Why World Milk Day is important

• Milk nourishes people around the globe

While not all countries and cultures drink milk, the vast majority loves it and many have made it a staple of their cuisine. Some of the countries include Finland, the Netherlands, and Sweden that consume milk as an important demand; however, milk is not a popular drink in North Korea or Liberia.

• It's delicious!

Everyone loves the first sip of a cool glass of milk, the first scoop of ice cream or a cup of hot cocoa, right? Milk has been transformed into many of our most beloved foods for a good reason - milk is delicious.

• Milk is very nutritious

Milk 2% or less is full of nutrients! We know your mother always said milk helps bones grow, but in reality, milk has many more benefits than that. It is high in calcium, vitamin D, and potassium, which are nutrients that are consumed regularly.

How to celebrate World Milk Day

• Make homemade ice cream

What better way to celebrate dairy products than by making one of the best dairy products yourself! Homemade ice cream doesn't require a lot of ingredients or tools and can be so much fun whipping up ice cream, especially with friends and family!

• Enjoy a glass of milk

Ah, the simplest, classic and freshest way to participate in World Milk Day. Since we appreciate the food anyway, let's get back to the basics. Pour a glass of creamy milk and enjoy during the day.

• Use the hashatags such as #WorldMilkDay or #EnjoyDairy

The official World Milk Day hashtags are a great way to join the dairy conversation on social media. Check out the website for World Milk Day to see all the social media campaigns you can get involved in!

Easy Milk Recipes

Rice Kheer: It is one of the simplest and easiest dairy recipes in India. It is made from a lot of different ingredients including soaked rice, milk, sugar, kesar and nuts and then they are slow cooked and served hot or cold as a dessert.

Rabdi: Another sweet dish made solely from milk, which is slow cooked and reduced to a thick, grainy texture that is naturally sweet and served as a dessert.

Mango Milkshake: It is a favorite drink in summer. It is made from the combination of ripe mango, milk, and sugar and then decorated with cherries, nuts, and grated coconut.

Rasmalai: A sweet dish made from milk, mixed together in different forms. It uses soft and spongy cheena plates made from milk, soaked with sweet syrup of milk flavored with kesar, nuts, and sugar.