Cow’s milk is the most used milk when it comes to eating cereals, making cheese, yogurt, kefir, ice cream and other types of dairy products, although many are surprised to learn that goat’s milk is quite common and is consumed in the tables of many cultures of the world. Goat’s milk is as versatile as cow’s milk in almost all its aspects, but there are different factors that influence personal preferences when choosing one or the other to drink, grow, bake or cook.
Differences between goat’s milk and cow’s milk
Taste
The distinctive flavor of goat cheese has earned its place in the world of flavors found in gourmet delicatessens, restaurants, and supermarkets. For some, that distinctive flavor is the reason to opt for products that contain goat’s milk; for others it is the reason for preferring cow’s milk. In the world of raw and cultured milk, fresh goat and cow’s milk can taste almost the same due to their similar compositions, or it can be quite different. This will depend on the proper processing and handling of the milk and the animal’s diet. Many say that goat’s milk tastes slightly sweeter than cow’s milk.
Appearance
Goats convert the carotene in their diet into vitamin A more efficiently than cows, producing whiter milk, creams and butters. Those who prefer a classic yellow hue to their butter can use achiote (cheese coloring) to add more color during processing.
Consistency
Five to ten goats are needed to equal a cow’s milk production. However, once the milk has been removed from the animal, the difference in consistency of cow’s milk compared to goat’s milk is less. The amount of cream in goat’s milk is quite significant ; Instead, the fat globules in goat’s milk are much smaller than those in cow’s milk, causing the cream to blend into all of the milk instead of staying on top. This is because goat milk does not contain glutinin , the compound in cow’s milk that allows fat globules to clump together and stay on top.
Due to this natural homogenization, a cream separator is used to obtain goat’s milk cream. It is for this reason that many prefer to use raw cow’s milk when making butter, sour cream, and similar products due to the ease of separating cream from milk.
Nutrition
Goat’s milk is an excellent alternative to cow’s milk. The composition of any type of milk can vary depending on the breed of the animal, the diet, the environment and the point in the lactation period, but on average, this is how the comparative table of nutrients of both types of milk would look:
- Protein (g): Goat (3.1) Cow (3.2)
- Fat (g): Goat (3.5) Cow (3.9)
- Calories / 100 ml: Goat (60) Cow (66)
- Vitamin A : Goat (39) Cow (21)
- Vitamin B1 : Goat (68) Cow (45)
- Vitamin C : Goat (2) Cow (2)
- Calcium : Goat (0.19) Cow (0.18)
- Iron : Goat (0.07) Cow (0.06)
- Phosphorus : Goat (0.27) Cow (0.23)
Digestion
The small fat globules in goat’s milk produce a smaller, smoother curd, allowing digestive enzymes to break it down more quickly . Goat milk also has higher levels of short and medium chain fatty acids , making the digestion process faster and easier , as well as producing energy more quickly. Many people prefer goat milk for these reasons.
And you, which one do you choose? Goat’s or cow’s milk?
