Does anyone know of any companies that specialize in exotic cheeses, butters etc. For instance they would experiment with the milk from a variety of captive wild animals looking for cheeses and butters etc. that may have gourmet appeal?
Not limited to hooved animals necessarily.
Camel milk and camel milk products are popular in the middle east. I’ve seen reports on the news that some companies might be starting to import it.
Camels milk is what got me thinking about this. I know Buffalo, lamas, yak, goats, and a few semi domestic African antelope species are milked.
Not all animals make milk in quantity or as efficient as the primary animals of cows, goats, and sheep. I did a quick google search and there is someone who sells camel milk stateside. Apparently, camel milk is used as a source of water in the ME as it’s very watery. Which would mean fermenting would require a lot of milk and more to the process as you have to get rid of some of the water.
I just read where cheese sold from pig milk sells for up to $1.200.00 per pound. They are hard to milk. Hooded seal milk has up to 60% fat compared to a humans 3%.
We have a dairy here that’s making cheese from water buffalo milk (the owners were apparently inspired by the mozzarella they had in Italy). I’ve had it, it’s pretty good.
In Mongolia, mare’s milk is fermented to yield an alcoholic beverage, Kumis
Dan Savage covered another exotic source (lead question mildly NSFW; the questions following definitely are).
I’ve come across yak milk ice cream, at Glastonbury festival years ago.
Didn’t try it, bit expensive.