No Stupid Questions 71. Why Is Pig Milk the One Milk We Don’t Drink?
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Apr 19, 2026 They explore why humans drink some milks but not pig milk, tracing history, biology, and practical farming challenges. They consider a rare pig-milk cheese experiment and ethical and environmental trade-offs of animal versus plant milks. Conversation then shifts to foods many find disgusting, with personal takes on natto, durian, eel, anchovy paste, offal, and edible insects.
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Milk Drinking Is A Recent Human Innovation
- Drinking animal milk is a recent human habit that began ~10,000 years ago with early farmers and pastoralists.
- Stephen notes milk became common as a byproduct of domesticating animals like cows in Western Europe, not an ancient universal practice.
Childhood Raw Milk Memories From A Farm
- Stephen recounts getting raw milk from a nearby farmer in mayo jars and skimming cream for ice cream and butter.
- He contrasts that strong, flavorful farm milk with pale commercial milk he later found disappointing.
Ruminant Biology Explains Common Dairy Sources
- Most commonly consumed milks come from ruminants with four-chambered stomachs that produce lots of milk like cows, goats, yak, reindeer, water buffalo.
- Stephen highlights that ruminant biology and high milk yield help explain why their dairy is widely used.