LOOK at the dairy section in any large supermarket in Riyadh and you’ll see quite a selection of milk products. There’s whole milk, low-fat milk, skim milk, laban and then — oh what’s this? Camel’s milk? It’s amusing to watch people’s faces the first time they come across cartons of pasteurized camel’s milk.
Saudis feel that drinking camel’s milk is a normal part of life. Some Saudis have a taste for it. Some don’t. But no Saudi would think that the experience is the least bit unusual. The surprising thing these days is the number of Westerners who have taken to drinking camel’s milk.
Just loiter near the dairy section of any large supermarket to see this phenomenon. Why would a Westerner be taking three cartons of camel’s milk out of the dairy case? How would he come to know about a product that he would never encounter in his native land?
“I know of its importance from my fellow Saudis,” said Robert Green, an American who loves to drink camel’s milk daily. “I believe it is very healthy.” He added though that he had never read any scientific research about it.
Camel’s milk is a special kind of milk that differs from milk produced by other animals. Although it has lost some of its popularity over the years due to the dramatic development being witnessed in the Kingdom, it is still consumed by people who value camels and remember the historical importance of their milk to Bedouins.
Camel’s milk has been known as a cure for certain diseases since the times immemorial. Bedouins who keep camels maintain healthy bodies and they survive many diseases. “It is used as a treatment for ulcers and also for curing colitis. It is also said to be good for strengthening the bones,” said Abdullah Al-Mutairy, a camel herder in Qassim. “It is neither light nor heavy. It is healthy and delicious.”
Abdullah added that camel’s milk has some advantages over other kinds of milk. “You can drink it hot or cold,” he pointed out. “Camel’s milk is also a good way of losing weight if one drinks it regularly. You can dispense with your dinner if you drink a liter of camel’s milk at sunset.”
According to Abdullah, to produce good quality milk the herder must feed the animal with good fodder, particularly grasses and green plants. The best kind of milk is what comes from the “bkir” which is a female camel that gives birth for the first time.
Getting the milk is not easy for the herders. Milking a camel is an acquired skill. It takes a professional who has a good sense of touch and can control the flow of milk from the she-camel’s udders.
“Before milking,” Abdullah explained, “you have to bring the calf to breast-feed from the mother, thus stimulating the milk to flow. Then it is possible to milk the camel by hand. If, however, the milking is delayed for more than eight minutes, it will be necessary to bring the calf and start all over again.”
Saudis do not use milking machines and Abdullah did not know whether any had ever been created or not. “The machines that have been developed for cows are not good with camels,” he said. “The behavior of the camel is completely different from that of cows. The quantity of milk that can be produced from a she-camel every day is as high as five gallons. It is best to milk a camel twice daily; once in the morning and again in the evening, separating the camels being milked from their male companions.”
Some businessmen are now investing in the business of camel milk because there is great demand for the milk among Saudis. At least two local companies are now producing camel milk. There are also unlicensed herdsmen who sell camel milk. It is very common to see them along the Riyadh-Qassim highway.
Consumers should be aware that it not advisable to buy raw milk from them because they don’t implement the most basic health regulations. The camel’s milk sold in supermarkets has been pasteurized and hygienically packaged so it is a healthy product.