🥛 Goat's milk
Also known as: goat milk
Small fat globules and a different casein profile make it easier for many people to digest.
Goat's milk is the milk of the domestic goat, drunk fresh and made into cheese and yoghurt. Goat’s milk is close to cow’s milk in its basic composition, with comparable amounts of protein, fat and lactose. According to the FAO, in 2010 it accounted for about 2.4% of world milk production; the largest producers are India, Bangladesh and Sudan. For rural people in many dry regions the goat is the main source of milk, and in the Mediterranean goat cheeses and yogurts are a notable part of the economy.
The differences lie in the details. Its fat globules are smaller on average, and its fat is richer in short- and medium-chain fatty acids: caproic, caprylic and capric acids are even named after the Latin word capra, “goat”. These and branched-chain fatty acids are linked to the typical “goaty” flavor. Goat’s milk has roughly ten times less vitamin B12 than cow’s milk, and both are low in folate.
Goat’s milk is often considered easier to digest, but the scientific evidence is mixed. Importantly, it contains the same major proteins, including beta-lactoglobulin, so according to the World Allergy Organization it is not a suitable substitute in cow’s milk protein allergy: cross-reactions are possible.
Composition per 100 g
| Fat | 4.1 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 3.6 g | |
| Lactose | 4.5 g | |
| Energy | 69 kcal | |
| Calcium | 134 mg |
Average values. Values vary a lot with breed, season, feed and stage of lactation. The bar shows the share of the maximum within this group of milks.
Sources: USDA FoodData Central, FAO 2013, гл. 3
How it connects to milk
🥛 Goat's milk → type of → 🥛 Milk
Links
- Whose milk
- 🐐 Goat
- A type of
- 🥛 Milk
- What is made from it
- 🧀 Cheese, 🧀 Feta, 🍯 Cajeta, 🧀 Queso fresco, 🫙 Labneh, ⚪ Jameed, 🥣 Kashk, 🫕 Smen, 🟫 Brunost
- Benefits
- ❤️ Digestion
- Part of
- 🥛 Milk by species
Frequently asked questions
How is goat’s milk different from cow’s milk?
They are similar in protein, fat and lactose. Goat’s milk has smaller fat globules, more short- and medium-chain fatty acids (hence its distinctive taste) and much less vitamin B12.
Can a child with cow’s milk allergy drink goat’s milk?
No: goat milk proteins are similar to cow milk proteins, and in IgE-mediated allergy severe cross-reactions are possible. The World Allergy Organization does not recommend this substitution.
Does goat’s milk contain lactose?
Yes, about as much as cow’s milk (around 4.5%), so it does not help with lactose intolerance.
Comparisons
History
What to read next
- 🫙 Labneh — A thick, salty strained yogurt of the Levant, denser than Greek yogurt. In Lebanon and Palestine it is rolled into balls, coated in za'atar and kept in olive oil.
- ❤️ Digestion — How easily milk is digested depends on fat globule size, casein type and lactose.
- ⚪ Jameed — A dried, salted yogurt of sheep's and goat's milk made in Jordan for centuries during the milk season. The key ingredient of mansaf, a dish on UNESCO's intangible heritage list.
- 🥣 Kashk — A sour, salty product of strained yogurt or buttermilk dried until hard. Known in Iran for millennia; the basis of kashk-e bademjan.
- 🫕 Smen — A salted, aged clarified butter of the Maghreb, usually from sheep's or goat's milk. In Morocco it is aged until pungent; old smen is valued more highly.
Similar
🥛 Sheep's milk · 🥛 Mare's milk · 🥛 Yak milk · 🥛 Cow's milk · 🥛 Breast milk · 🥛 Mithun milk
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.
Sources
- FAO. Milk and dairy products in human nutrition (2013)
- Roy et al. 2020. Composition, Structure, and Digestive Dynamics of Milk From Different Species (Frontiers in Nutrition)