What is Yak milk and where does it come from?
Yak milk is milk from female yaks, raised mainly on high plateaus such as the Tibetan area of western Sichuan, China. In one study of 104 samples from Maiwa yaks there, the milk averaged 6.12 g fat and 4.95 g protein per 100 g, higher than the cow milk range the authors list (PubMed Central study).
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In this article
Where does yak milk come from?
The study we read sampled pure Maiwa yaks grazing natural pasture in Hongyuan County, western Sichuan, China, with no supplementary feeding. It does not describe yak milk use worldwide, so we make no claim about other regions.
What is in yak milk?
The authors analyzed 104 samples collected monthly from May to December 2009. Values are grams per 100 g of fresh milk.
| Component | Yak milk (average) | Cow milk (range given by the authors) |
|---|---|---|
| Fat | 6.12 | 2.4 to 5.5 |
| Total protein | 4.95 | 2.3 to 4.4 |
| Lactose | 5.03 | 3.8 to 5.3 |
| Ash | 0.79 | 0.68 to 0.80 |
| Total solids | 16.88 | 11.3 to 14.5 |
Does the season change it?
Yes, in this study. Fat was higher in the cold season (6.84 vs 5.04 in the warm season), while protein, lactose and total solids were higher in the warm season.
Limits of these numbers
These figures come from one breed on one pasture, so other herds can differ. We found no official source we opened that covers yak yogurt or yak milk safety, so we say nothing on those. If you have a milk allergy or lactose intolerance, ask a doctor before trying it.
Do yaks produce milk, and what is it used for?
Yes. The FAO’s yak publication calls butter the principal product from yak milk and says herdsmen treat its output as the yardstick of milk quality. Milk use is concentrated where yaks are most widely kept, in the mountain pastures.
What products are made from yak milk?
- Butter, made by churning. The FAO says it is used for food, fuel and lamps, among other purposes.
- Hard cheese. Nepal started a yak cheese industry and, according to the FAO text, was the only country producing yak cheese until the 1980s. Its Swiss-style cheese is made from nak and chauri milk.
- Dried and soft cheeses, such as chuto and hapiruto in Bhutan and churpi in India, and a fresh curd called milk residue that herdsmen dry.
- Sour milk, described as a favorite of herdsmen and their families all year round.
- Other items: milk skin, milk cake, a toffee-like product called korani, and a milk wine fermented in Mongolia.
Is there yak yogurt?
The FAO text we read does not mention yogurt. It does describe yak sour milk, and says a technology to produce it was being developed. We found no official source naming yak yogurt as a product, so we make no claim about it.
People also ask
What is yak milk?
Milk from female yaks. In a study of Maiwa yaks in Sichuan, China, it averaged 6.12 g fat and 4.95 g protein per 100 g.
Is yak milk higher in fat than cow milk?
In that study the 6.12 g per 100 g average was above the cow milk range the authors list (2.4 to 5.5 g).
Where does yak milk come from?
The study sampled yaks grazing natural pasture in Hongyuan County, western Sichuan, China.
Do yaks produce milk?
Yes. The FAO says butter is the principal product made from yak milk, and that milk use is concentrated in the mountain pastures where yaks are kept.
What products are made from yak milk?
The FAO lists butter, hard and dried cheeses, fresh curd, sour milk, milk skin, milk cake, korani and a fermented milk wine.
Sources
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