How is reindeer milk processed and prepared for consumption?

How is reindeer milk processed?

Mostly in traditional ways, and on a very small scale. The milk was historically stored in a container called a naehpie and worked by hand. It can be consumed fresh, turned into cheese, or acidified into tatmjolk, a dense soured milk. We did not find a standard modern process, and claims that reindeer milk is routinely pasteurized, homogenized and packaged like cow’s milk are not supported by sources we could open.

How is reindeer cheese made?

Reindeer cheese, or renost, is a traditional Sami product recognized by the Slow Food Ark of Taste. The older method poured curdled milk into the stomach of a reindeer, closed it and hung it in the open air. Today the few remaining producers use linen cloths to drain off excess liquid, and the cold climate makes the cheese hard and grainy. It was usually shaped into a rounded, flat form and is sometimes smoked to extend its shelf life.

How is it eaten?

• Fresh: as milk.
• Soured: as dense tatmjolk.
• As cheese: renost has a strong flavor like a matured cheese.
• In coffee: the cheese was often used in place of cream.

Why is reindeer milk so rare?

Female reindeer give very little milk, which makes large-scale production impossible, and production today remains very small. That is why reindeer milk is rarely sold in shops.

Is it safe?

Safety depends on handling like any milk. Raw milk from any animal can carry harmful bacteria. If you ever come across reindeer milk or cheese, buy from a recognized producer and ask how it was treated.

What about nutrition numbers?

The source we opened gives no nutrition figures for reindeer milk, so we do not print any.

Can you substitute it?

For cooking, a rich cow’s, goat’s or sheep’s milk or cream is the practical alternative, though the flavor differs.