Andy Montoya
Pig's milk cheese is a rare commodity, but it does exist. In the Dutch town of Bathmen, pig farmer Erik Stegink has successfully made cheese from pig's milk. It took him and his team around 40 hours to milk enough of his pigs to produce a few kilograms of cheese. The cheese was described as tasting chalky and a little bit salty, and compared to other cheeses, saltier and creamier, yet grainier. The cheese sold for $2,300 per kilogram to an anonymous buyer.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Is there a cheese made from pig's milk? | Yes, although it is rare. |
| Is pig's milk similar to cow's milk? | It is similar in composition to cow's milk, but higher in fat (8.5% compared to 3.5%) and more watery. |
| How does it taste? | It has been described as "chalky and a little bit salty", saltier and creamier yet grainier than other cheeses, and gamier than cow's milk. |
| Why is pig's milk cheese so rare? | Pigs are considered difficult to milk due to their temperament and the small amount of milk they produce. They also do not have udders, making the process even more challenging. |
| How much does pig's milk cheese cost? | In one instance, it was sold for $2,300 per kilogram, making it one of the most expensive cheeses in the world. |
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What You'll Learn
Pig milk cheese is rare
Pig milk is not commonly obtained for human consumption and is not considered a viable agricultural product. It has a higher fat content than cow's milk and is described as more gamey than goat's milk. Despite the challenges and rarity of pig milk cheese, some people have successfully created it and found it to be tasty. However, it is not expected to become a popular product due to the limitations and difficulties in the process.
Erik Stegink, a pig farmer in the Dutch town of Bathmen, is one of the few people known to have experimented with making cheese from pig's milk. He collaborated with cheese store Kloas in 't Hof to create a young cheese made from pig's milk. Stegink described the process of milking pigs as challenging, requiring four people to collect 100 milliliters of milk in 30 seconds, and needing at least 40 hours to collect enough milk for two pounds of cheese.
Despite the challenges, Stegink and others have found the taste of pig milk cheese to be unique, with a saltier and creamier flavour than cow's milk cheese, and a grainier texture. However, the process of making pig milk cheese is not expected to become a widespread practice due to the time and effort required, as well as the limited supply of pig's milk. As a result, pig milk cheese remains a rare and unconventional product in the culinary world.
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It's time-consuming to milk pigs
Pig milk cheese is rare, with only a handful of farmers and chefs attempting to make it. One of the biggest challenges in producing pig milk cheese is the time and effort required to milk pigs.
Pigs are considered difficult to milk due to their small teats, which only release milk for a short duration. A sow may release milk for about 15 to 30 seconds every two hours, making the milking process time-consuming and labor-intensive. It takes multiple people and several dozen hours to collect enough milk for a small batch of cheese.
For example, Dutch farmer Erik Stegink, who made headlines for producing pig milk cheese, spent around 40 hours milking his free-range pigs to yield just a few pounds of cheese. Similarly, ten people worked for dozens of hours to produce the first experimental pig milk cheese in the Netherlands.
The process of milking pigs is not only time-consuming but also challenging due to the nature of the animals. Pigs are not naturally inclined to be milked and may be uncooperative, spooked by human presence, or even aggressive during lactation. This makes the task of milking them even more difficult and prolonged.
Additionally, pigs produce less milk compared to cows, further contributing to the time and effort required to obtain sufficient milk for cheese-making. As a result, pig milk cheese remains a niche product, produced in small quantities by a limited number of enthusiasts.
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Pig's milk is higher in fat than cow's milk
Pig milk is higher in fat than cow's milk. It contains 8.5% fat, compared to 3.5% in cow's milk. This compositional difference is due to the different mammalian species, with the fat content of milk depending on genetic, physiological, nutritional, and environmental factors.
The higher fat content of pig milk is one of the reasons it is not considered a viable agricultural product. While several attempts have been made to produce pig milk cheese, it is challenging to obtain pig milk for human use. Pigs are difficult to milk as they are reluctant to be milked and may become spooked by human presence. Additionally, lactating pigs can be aggressive, and the milking process is time-consuming as it has to be done by hand due to the small teats of sows.
Despite these challenges, there have been some successful attempts at making pig milk cheese. In one instance, a Dutch farmer spent around 40 hours milking his pigs to produce a few kilograms of cheese, which sold for $2,300 per kilogram. The cheese was described as "saltier and creamier, yet grainier" than other varieties.
The high fat content of pig milk contributes to its distinct flavor, which has been described as "gamey" and more so than goat's milk. It is also considered more watery than cow's milk. These flavor characteristics, along with the challenges of obtaining pig milk, make it less suitable for commercial production.
Overall, while pig milk is higher in fat than cow's milk, it is not commonly used for human consumption or cheese production due to various factors, including the difficulty of obtaining the milk and its unique flavor profile.
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Pig's milk cheese tastes salty and creamy
Pig's milk cheese is a rare delicacy, with only a few known producers in the world. One of the first experimental pig milk cheeses was produced by a Dutch farmer, who enlisted the help of ten people to milk the sows for dozens of hours, resulting in a few kilograms of cheese. This cheese was reported to have a salty and creamy taste, with a grainier texture compared to other cheeses. It fetched a high price, selling for $2,300 per kilogram to an anonymous buyer at a children's charity.
The process of making pig's milk cheese is challenging due to the small amount of milk produced by pigs and their short milking time. Pigs have 12-14 teats and release milk for only about 15 to 30 seconds every two hours. This makes the milking process time-consuming and difficult, often requiring multiple people and yielding small quantities of milk.
Despite the challenges, some people have successfully made cheese from pig's milk. Chef Edward Lee managed to obtain pig's milk and made ricotta, which he described as "delicious." Another American chef is also known for experimenting with pig's milk cheese.
Pig's milk cheese producers have noted that the taste can be influenced by the pig's diet. Pigs are omnivores and their milk may have a gamier flavour compared to cow's milk. However, those who have tasted pig's milk cheese describe it as having a distinct flavour that is saltier and creamier than cow's milk cheese. It also dissipates quicker on the tongue and has a grainier texture.
While pig's milk cheese may not become a mainstream product due to the challenges of production and the limited appeal of pig's milk as a consumable product, it remains a unique and intriguing delicacy for those adventurous enough to try it.
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It's difficult to milk pigs
Another challenge is that pigs produce milk in smaller quantities and for shorter durations than other dairy animals. They release milk for only about 15 to 30 seconds every two hours, making it time-consuming and labor-intensive to collect a substantial amount of milk. This is why, in most recorded attempts, multiple people were required to spend dozens of hours milking pigs to produce a small quantity of cheese.
The temperament of pigs during lactation also poses difficulties in milking them. Lactating pigs can be aggressive, uncooperative, or easily spooked by human presence, which can make the process of milking them challenging and potentially unsafe.
Additionally, the diet of pigs, which typically includes slops and meat, can influence the taste of their milk. Some believe that this diet may result in milk with an unfavourable flavour for cheese-making, further reducing the incentive to milk pigs.
Lastly, the milk produced by pigs has lower levels of casein, a type of milk protein essential for coagulating milk and forming cheese. This makes it more challenging to produce cheese from pig's milk, as it requires a different and more attention-intensive process.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, there is. While it is rare, a farmer in the Netherlands has successfully made cheese from pig's milk.
It is a time-consuming process. It takes around 40 hours of milking to produce just a few pounds of cheese. Pigs produce milk less frequently and in smaller quantities than cows, and they have small teats that only give out milk for a short amount of time.
It is described as saltier and creamier than cow's milk cheese, but also grainier. It also dissipates quicker on the tongue.
While the composition of pig's milk is similar to cow's milk, it is higher in fat and more watery. It has been described as more gamey than goat's milk.
The Dutch farmer who first produced this cheese sold it to an anonymous buyer at a children's charity for $2,300 per kilogram. However, there is also a modest farmer in Tuscany who makes "porcorino" from pig's milk, and an American chef who is interested in using pig's milk.
