All the Different Types of Milk
Every afternoon after lunch, I will go for a cup of hot tea or better known as Teh Tarik. Teh Tarik is a Malaysian brew and is usually served hot. The main ingredients are condensed milk and brewed tea. My colleague will usually order Teh “C” kosong where instead of condensed milk, evaporated milk is used.
Many out there assume that all the milks are the same when in reality they are not. In this article, I will compare the differences between condensed milk and evaporated milk and the different types of fresh milk out there.
Condensed milk vs. Evaporated Milk
The difference between condensed milk and evaporated milk is subtle but significant.
In terms of similarity, both condensed and evaporated milk are made by heating regular milk until it’s reduced by about 1/3 of its total weight.
Main types of fresh cow’s milk in the market
About 80% of the world’s dairy are produced by cows. There are also other animals like sheep, buffalo, goats and camels that produce milk but they are not as widespread due to the large resources needed to produce this milk.
In Malaysia, cow’s milk can be classified into three main types (full cream milk (3.5%), low-fat milk (<1.5%) and skimmed milk (<0.5% milk). In the removal of milk fat, nutrient and protein remains unchanged. Below is an illustrative diagram of the amount of calorie and nutrients in this three types of common milk.
Which of these milks is the healthiest?
For those who are concerned about their fat intake, skim or low fat milk is a better option. However, this milk is not creamy and almost tasteless. Also, to fill up the composition of fats that filled up the full cream milk before, more lactose sugar has to be added to fill up the spaces. This gives rise to an increased amount of carbs in this milk. Of course, the flavoured low fat milk and flavored skimmed milk tastes better, but they have added sugar in it.
Other types of common milks in the market
1. For those with lactose intolerance, there are vegan milks out there. The common vegan milks in the market are oat milk, almond milk, rice milk and coconut milk. Sometimes this vegan milks are flavored as well.
2. Flavoured cow’s milk is a hit amongst kids. Many kids do not like to consume the bland white cow’s milk hence with the addition of flavoring, the milk now has taste and kids start gravitating towards them. With these flavourings, kids get their daily dose of calcium. However, do take note that flavoured milk usually comes with added sugar.
3. There is also lactose-free milk. Lactose free milk is cow’s milk with lactose that has been broken down. All the vitamins and minerals are still intact just the lactose is not present in the milk anymore. This particular type of milk is more expensive than the normal cow’s milk as the process to breakdown the lactose is expensive.
Hope this information helps you understand the different types of milk for you and your family. Drink up for stronger bones!
