JEDDAH, 3 October 2006 — For many people, fresh camel milk is a must for iftar (fast-breaking) in the month of Ramadan. Even with the availability of pasteurized and bottled camel milk in most supermarkets, die-hard fans say there is nothing better than milk fresh from the camel.
Camel milk is a common beverage, especially among residents in the southern parts of Jeddah, where people of diverse nationalities reside. Milkmen that specialize in fresh camel milk can be seen in south Jeddah this time of year to meet the high demand during Ramadan — not far from the camel corrals of Khomrah on the southern edge of the city.
Camel milk vendors can also be seen nearby, sitting at tables by the side of the road with metal bowls of camel milk steadied by rocks to keep the wind from blowing them over.
The metal bowls come in three different sizes to measure the amount of milk for sale. Prices range from SR10 to SR20, depending on the size of the bowl.
After customers select the amount of milk they would like to purchase, they are taken to the camels nearby, hemmed in by rope fences, and the camel is milked. It can’t get fresher than that.
Mohammed Hassan, a farm hand originally from Ethiopia, said that some loyal customers come every day to buy milk.
“We sell a lot of milk during this month,” said Hassan, who works SR500 a month for a Saudi man that owns the camels. He showed Arab News the 12 camels and four cubs that he cares for. The teats of the females were covered by pieces of cloth to keep the cubs from nursing the mother dry. (Hassan says he allows them to nurse periodically throughout the day.)
Hassan took the cloth from the camel’s teat and the small cub came running to feed. He let the cub suckle for a while in order to prime the teat for milking. After washing the bowl, he then pushed the cub away by slapping it in the neck and started milking the camel into a bowl.
After milking, Hassan covered the camel’s teat again and went out of the fence, grabbed a plastic bag where he emptied the milk in. “Enjoy the milk,” he said with a smile.
Hassan said that the milk doesn’t need to be pasteurized.
“People drink it like this all the time and no one has complained. I’ve been drinking it since I was a baby directly from the camel’s teat and I’m as healthy as ever,” he said.
While slightly saltier than cow’s milk, camel milk is highly nutritious.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, camel milk is three times as rich in Vitamin C as cow’s milk and it is known to be rich in iron and B vitamins.
Because of the nutritive qualities of the milk, and the sturdiness of its producers, the camels, who thrive in arid climates, the FAO sees bright prospects for camel dairy products — a way to provide nomadic herders a source of income.
FAO reported on their website that there are an estimated 200 million potential customers for camel milk in the Arab world and millions more in Africa, Europe and the Americas.
