DONKEY MILK CHEESE A HIT

"Donkey milk has the taste of love," says Mrs Fatiko Basha as she caresses her favourite donkey, Liza, before collecting its milk. It also makes what is reputed to be one of the most expensive cheeses in the world.

On a small farm in Albania's southern Gjirokaster region, Mrs Basha and her husband Veiz use donkey milk to make cheese, curd or whey.

For thousands of years, it has been praised for its numerous virtues. The legend says that Egyptian queen Cleopatra immersed herself in donkey milk baths to preserve her beauty and youth.

Legends aside, it "heals children, and is a natural remedy for respiratory tracts, allergies and the immune system", claims Mrs Basha.

She cleans one mother's teats, stroking the animal to try to get her milk flowing, as the foal, Xhoia ("Joy" in Albanian), looks on.

"Regardless of their age, donkeys are like children," Mr Basha says with a smile. They need a lot of affection to produce milk, he adds, as the donkey starts to bray to get his attention.

The donkeys have to be lactating, of course, and milking starts when the foal is three months old.

Donkey milk became popular during the Covid-19 pandemic, which was when the Bashas decided to bring several to their farm.

Before long, they were selling their milk not just in Albania, but also in Greece, Montenegro and North Macedonia.