🥛 Buffalo milk

Buffalo milk is the milk of the domestic water buffalo, second only to cow's milk in world volume. According to FAO, buffaloes account for about 15 % of world milk output (13 % in 2010). There are roughly 205 million buffaloes in the world, more than 98 % of them in Asia. Milk comes mainly from river buffaloes — about 70 % of the population; the smaller swamp buffaloes of South-East Asia are kept mostly as draught animals.

In India and Pakistan buffaloes produce more milk than cows, and in Pakistan and Nepal there are more milking buffaloes than cows. A river buffalo gives 1,500–4,500 L of milk per lactation and can go on producing calves and milk for up to 20 years. Well-known dairy breeds include Murrah, Nili-Ravi, Surti and Jaffarabadi.

Buffalo milk contains on average 7.5 % fat — more than twice as much as cow's milk (3.3 %) — so it is thick and rich in calories: according to USDA, 97 kcal, 3.75 g of protein and 169 mg of calcium per 100 g. This is an advantage for processing: 1 kg of butter takes about 14 kg of cow's milk but only 10 kg of buffalo milk. It is used to make ghee, paneer, dahi, khoa, kulfi and many South Asian sweets, and in Italy mozzarella di bufala campana.

Buffalo milk and cow's milk differ most in fat: buffalo milk has on average 7.5% against 3.3%, so it is thicker and higher in calories, with 97 kcal per 100 g according to USDA. That helps in processing: 1 kg of butter takes 10 kg of buffalo milk instead of 14 kg of cow's milk. It is not a substitute when someone is allergic to cow's milk protein, because the proteins are similar. So buffalo or cow is a question of richness and use: ghee, paneer, mozzarella and sweets suit buffalo milk.

On a label, look for “buffalo milk” or “mozzarella di bufala campana”; for the cheese in the EU this is a protected designation of origin (PDO). Fresh buffalo milk is seldom sold, so you mostly meet it as mozzarella, ghee or paneer. They are sold at the cheese counter of large supermarkets, in Italian and Asian grocers and at farmers' markets. Store them like any dairy in the fridge at 0–5 °C.

Why it matters to you. Buffalo milk is not a substitute for people allergic to cow's milk protein: the World Allergy Organization advises against it in such cases because it contains the same β-lactoglobulin and severe cross-reactions are possible. It has twice the fat, and so more calories too. Store it like any milk, in the fridge at 0–5 °C.