🥛 Zebu milk
Milk of humped tropical cattle.
Zebu milk is the milk of the zebu, a humped breed of cattle common in hot countries. The zebu (Bos indicus) is the humped cattle of the tropics, widespread in South Asia, Africa and Latin America. Zebu and humpless European cattle are regarded as separate forms, but there is no reproductive barrier between them, and in the FAO’s world statistics zebu milk is counted together with cow’s milk.
Zebu tolerate heat, drought, ticks and poor feed better than European breeds, but give noticeably less milk. Older summary data suggest zebu milk is slightly higher in fat and protein than that of European cows (about 4–5% fat), but these figures are approximate: composition depends heavily on breed, feed and stage of lactation. Many zebu breeds, according to available data, produce milk with only A2-type beta-casein.
In South Asia and Africa, milk from zebu and their crosses with European breeds is the basis of the everyday diet. It is made into ghee, dahi, fermented milk drinks and cheeses. To raise yields in the tropics, zebu are often crossed with Holsteins and other high-yielding breeds while keeping their resilience to the climate.
Composition per 100 g
| Fat | 4.9 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 3.9 g | |
| Lactose | 5.1 g | |
| Energy | 80 kcal | |
| Calcium | no data |
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: Zhang et al. 2018 (по Jensen 1995)
How it connects to milk
🥛 Zebu milk → type of → 🥛 Milk
Links
- Whose milk
- 🐂 Zebu
- A type of
- 🥛 Milk
- What is made from it
- 🧈 Ghee
- Part of
- 🥛 Milk by species
Frequently asked questions
How is a zebu different from a regular cow?
Zebu have a hump over the shoulders, a large dewlap and better resistance to heat and parasites, but their milk yields are usually lower than those of European dairy breeds.
Is zebu milk A2 milk?
Available data show that African and Asian cattle, including many zebu breeds, produce mostly A2 beta-casein milk, but this depends on the breed and the herd’s origin.
Similar
🥛 Mithun milk · 🥛 Moose milk · 🥛 Bactrian camel milk · 🥛 Reindeer milk · 🥛 Donkey milk · 🥛 Camel milk
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.