Some 'Udderly' Fun Facts About Milk

Did you know that World Milk Day is celebrated on June 1 every year? It's only fair that one of the most frequently talked about and even controversial drink deserves its own day. Let's milk some facts about doodh for all it is worth

- RAMA RAMESH

What came first?

Interestingly, humans have been consuming milk for thousands of years even though we have always been intolerant to it until recently. So the question is, which came first: the milk-drinking habit or lactose intolerance? Scientists are not sure, but milk was considered important enough to consume despite the risk until our bodies developed the necessary genes required to digest it. Even ancient cultures that did not directly consume milk liked to include milk products like butter and cheese in their diet.

Frogs to preserve milk

As strange as it may sound, years before refrigerators were invented, frogs were used to preserve milk in Russia and Finland. Russian brown frogs were forced to paddle around in buckets of milk to keep it fresh. What’s the science behind this? The peptide compounds present in their skin secretions acted like antibiotics to kill Salmonella, Staphylococcus and other bad bacteria that spoilt milk.

Milk and a poetic gesture