Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

Get access

Milk
(2,479 words)

1. Concept

Milk is the nutrient fluid produced by female mammals (and thus human mothers) to feed their young. Since the earliest times, the milk of various animals (cattle, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, water buffalo, camels) has also been widely used in cooking. The main milks consumed in early modern Europe were from cows, sheep, and goats. Because milk is highly perishable, it was processed into butter, whey, set/soured milk, buttermilk, cream/cottage cheese, and hard cheese (Fat consum…

Cite this page
Orland, Barbara, “Milk”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 08 June 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_024076>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20200128



▲   Back to top   ▲