🌍 South Asia

South Asia is one of the world’s largest dairy regions: India is the planet’s top milk producer. A distinctive feature of the region is the buffalo: in India and Pakistan, female buffaloes give more milk than cows. The cows here are mostly zebu and their crossbreeds.

In a hot climate milk spoils quickly, so it is boiled, soured and reduced. Hence ghee, clarified butter that keeps for a long time; paneer, a fresh cheese curdled with acid; dahi, a set curd; and lassi, a whipped drink made from it, especially loved in Punjab. Reduced milk is the base for a great many sweets.

Milk has special cultural significance. In Hinduism the cow is revered as a mother who gives food, and milk and ghee are used in temple ceremonies and family rituals. At the same time, people of different faiths and traditions live in the region, and their attitudes to dairy differ.