Here in Korea, the milk tastes pretty normal, and I’m pretty sure it’s produced locally (even though most beef is imported, usually from Australia or Argentina). Much of Korea’s infrastructure was built according to American standards, and this may include dairy and Pasteurization facilities.
FWIW
Gross coffe cremer milk comes in a shelf stable box, it is both reconstituted and UHT.
American style milk comes in a opaque plastic bottle, it is fresh milk and pastuerized and homogenized.
It’s partly that milk is such a familiar taste that even the slightest variation from what you are used to tastes “funny”. The same amount of variation in the flavour of avocados, for example, wouldn’t register.
Having said that, if the milk you were drinking abroad was in fact UHT, that is a gross variation and would adequately explain your experience. If you are used to fresh milk, UHT milk does taste “funny”, to put it mildly.
It’s partly that milk is such a familiar taste that even the slightest variation from what you are used to tastes “funny”. The same amount of variation in the flavour of avocados, for example, wouldn’t register.
Having said that, if the milk you were drinking abroad was in fact UHT, that is a gross variation and would adequately explain your experience. If you are used to fresh milk, UHT milk does taste “funny”, to put it mildly.
In the UK our milk is great. We have a good climate for cows (lots of green grassiness) and therefore we also have some of the best beef in the world. France is a different story. Most of their cattle farming happens in the south of France where the cows are fed grain. I know that doesn’t do much good for the beef, but it must affect the milk too. The reason I can’t tell for sure - and another reason why French milk is rubbish - is that it’s mostly UHT milk anyway.
Japan milk runs the gamut. None I’ve ever had is bad per-say, but Aomori milk is pretty so-so. Hokkaido milk in general is like drinking sweet, sweet butter. It’s gotta be unhealthy as hell but I love it.