Milk by Mark Kurlansky review – a 10,000-year history

Humans are the only mammals that consume milk after weaning. Normally the enzyme (lactase) needed to digest the sugar in milk (lactose) disappears when babies begin to eat food: “The 60% of the world that is lactose-intolerant are made the way nature intended humans to be.”

And yet 40% of the population (mostly in the Middle East, North Africa, India and Europe) can drink milk and have been doing so for some 10,000 years. Milk-based creation myths are widespread: “galaxy” comes from the Greek word for milk, gala, and Hindus believe the god Vishnu churned a sea of milk to create the universe.