🐄 Cattle

Cattle are a group of large bovid ruminants which in this reference includes the cow and its relatives: zebu, buffalo, yak and mithun. Together they provide the vast majority of the world’s milk: according to the FAO, about 81% comes from cows and about another 15% from buffalo.

The domestic cow descends from the wild aurochs. Traditionally, humpless European cattle (Bos taurus) and humped zebu (Bos indicus) are distinguished, and they interbreed freely. According to the FAO, some lists count up to a thousand cattle breeds, yet about 35% of the world’s dairy cows — some 70 million head — are Holstein-Friesians, which, as the FAO notes, is not ideal for biodiversity.

Cattle, cow or buffalo? A cow is only one member of the group. Cattle in this reference means the cow and its relatives: zebu, buffalo, yak and mithun. Within the cow itself, humpless European cattle (Bos taurus) and humped zebu (Bos indicus) are distinguished and interbreed freely. The water buffalo is a separate genus, the yak lives in high mountains and the mithun in the mountain forests of north-east India. Their milk differs mainly in fat: 3.5–4% in cows against 7–9% in buffalo and mithun. Together they give the vast majority of the world’s milk.

On dairy packs the animal is named: look for “cow’s milk”, “buffalo milk” or another species, and for the fat content in the nutrition table, because the page gives about 3.5–4% for cow’s milk and 7–9% for buffalo and mithun milk. Cow’s milk is what most supermarket dairy aisles carry; buffalo products turn up in delicatessens and South Asian grocers. Breed names such as Holstein-Friesian rarely appear on the pack.

The water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is a separate genus, especially important in South Asia. The yak (Bos grunniens) is adapted to high mountains, and the mithun (Bos frontalis) to the mountain forests of north-east India and neighbouring countries. The milk of all these animals differs above all in fat content: from 3.5–4% in cows to 7–9% in buffalo and mithun.