I get that this particular phrase could apply to any aspect of my life right now, but today we're going to discuss milk. "Really?" you ask, "Milk is complicated?" You betcha.
When we were here on our look-see (find a place to live, school for the kids, etc) we were told that there had been a melamine scare with the milk a few years ago. As far as I know China doesn't have the equivalent of the FDA, so things like this happen and then someone figures it out and then it gets undone (one hopes). For those who aren't familiar with melamine, corelle dinner plates are made from it. It's not something you really want IN your food or drink.
When we arrived, we figured the melamine scare was in the past and it's probably safe to drink China milk now. So we did. None of us got sick. Seemed like it might be ok! A little extra creamy (no reduced fat milk that we could find!), but ok. Then our neighbor told us there was another melamine scare last year. I'm thinking I need to check out the periodicals at the local library to read all about this, BUT WAIT! I can't read chinese. Besides, The Party may have just declined to record that kind of damaging thing.
So we were back to square one. We all like milk. It gives us calcium for our bones. Some of us our still growing! Others would like to refrain from becoming brittle. More cheese, then? Probably not the best complete decision. So we searched and searched for imported milk only to find it in warm containers on a shelf (which, by the way is also how eggs are sold). YUCK!
Really. YUCK!
But seeing no other options we gave it a try. The imported milk is processed so it's safe to drink, but it definitely has a funny taste. I've found that I prefer the New Zealand milk to the European milk. M & K don't have such discriminated taste. C likes it less that I do. :(
As if this weren't complicated enough, now I'm wondering... how does this affect the ice cream?
Um, yes, my first thought on reading "milk is complicated" was what does that mean for ice cream??? Need to find out, stat!
ReplyDeleteIt is complicated!! So even the "imported milk" is warm? Can you buy goats milk in a can? Crazy. ~andrea
ReplyDeleteDefinitely go with the imported UHT milk - the NZ stuff is good, but so is the President brand...I think it's French. Right before we left they did some more testing and found some of the Chinese milk still had melamine in it...so don't even bother. The more I learned while I was there, the more I realized it's best just to go imported.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't grocery shop everyday. Don't grocery shop ever! Have City Shop or Fields deliver it to you! Fields is organic, and run by an Aussie...