Yes, Chinese people eat dairy, but traditionally it wasn't a staple due to widespread lactose intolerance and cultural preference for soy-based proteins like tofu, though consumption is rapidly rising, especially among the young, driven by Western influence and health trends, with milk, yogurt, and processed cheese becoming common, though traditional cheese remains less popular.
Chinese cuisine is renowned around the world for many dishes, but it is not famous for its dairy products. In fact, the combination of 'Chinese' and 'cheese' sounds very much like an oxymoron. And in 1980, China had one of the lowest per capita consumption rates of dairy.
Chinese daily meals consist of four food groups: grains, vegetables, fruit, and meat. Because of lactose intolerance, Chinese do not consume large amounts of dairy products. Instead, Chinese substitute these with soymilk and tofu, which also contain large amounts of protein and calcium.
Lactose intolerance is most common among people of East Asian descent (with 90% lactose intolerance), people of Jewish descent, people in African and Arab countries, and among people of Southern European descent (notably Greeks and Italians).
As others have alluded to, it's primarily due to geography. The areas where Asia is were not conducive to having large herds of cattle or other milk producing animals so drinking milk was not heavily done in the society pass a certain age.
Soy milk is a common beverage in East Asian cuisines. In Chinese cuisine, "sweet" soy milk is made by adding cane sugar or simple syrup.
Lactase nonpersistence is most prevalent in people of East Asian descent, with 70 to 100 percent of people affected in these communities. Lactase nonpersistence is also very common in people of West African, Arab, Jewish, Greek, and Italian descent.
Recent proteomic analyses on human dental calculus from the last 5000 years on the Eastern Steppe have established the presence of ruminant dairy consumption in Mongolia by the Early Bronze Age (c. 3000 BC), likely introduced by incoming Western Steppe migrations.
Abstract. Lactose intolerance occurs in about 25% of people in Europe; 50-80% of people of Hispanic origin, people from south India, black people, and Ashkenazi Jews; and almost 100% of people in Asia and American Indians.
For example, most people in China, Vietnam, Thailand and Japan are lactose intolerant. This simply means they can't digest lactose – the sugar in milk. Everyone has the ability to digest it when they are born, but most people lose this ability after weaning.
Fortunately for those with a dairy allergy, most dry store-bought pasta noodles contain only two ingredients – wheat and water.
Common Foods to Avoid if Lactose Intolerant
The average Chinese person still consumes only about 40kg of dairy products a year. That is a third of the global average and less than 40% of what China's health authorities recommend. Because production has outpaced consumption, China's dairy farms are awash in unwanted milk.
The countries least affected by cheese consumption also have their ranking. We find China (0.1 kg per person), Mongolia (0.3 kg per person) and Zimbabwe (0.6 kg per person). Afterwards, we can also ask ourselves the question: do Scandinavians eat quality cheese? Because there is cheese and cheese, huh...
Some Chinese dishes do mix in dairy ingredients, but not as common as American or European countries. Authentic Chinese food rarely uses milk-fat ingredients such as cream, butter or cheese. If you are lactose intolerant, Chinese cuisine/restaurants may be one of your best choices!
Why doesn't China traditionally have cheese? It's a common question — why dairy never really took hold in much of East Asia. And so if you satiate your curiosity with a quick Google search, it's a good bet the internet will deliver you up a clear, unambiguous answer: lactose intolerance.
Over 90 percent of Asian-Americans are lactose intolerant, and it is least common among Americans with a Northern European heritage.
For flavorings, there was mustard(Remember, Jesus' parable of the mustard seed in Mark 4:31), and dill, cumin, cinnamon, mint, and salt are also mentioned in the Bible. For drinking, Jesus probably drank water, wine, and milk (from goats and sheep).
In contrast, most Caucasians (80%) have a gene that preserves the ability to produce lactase into adulthood. A rare cause of lactose intolerance is called congenital lactase deficiency. Infants with this condition do not produce any lactase.
The former Disney Channel star tweeted that she has “a gluten and lactose allergy” on April 8 in response to accusations of an eating disorder. “It's not about weight it's about health,” she tweeted.
The symptoms of lactose intolerance usually begin within a few hours after eating or drinking foods that contain lactose. Common symptoms include: Diarrhea. Nausea, and sometimes, vomiting.
Gen Z isn't drinking as much milk due to health concerns (lactose intolerance, acne), ethical/environmental worries about dairy farming, the influence of social media promoting alternatives, increased awareness of dairy's downsides, and a desire for healthier, more personalized options like plant-based milks, though they still enjoy other dairy products like cheese and yogurt. They question traditional health advice and are swayed by peer culture and eco-consciousness, leading them toward alternatives for taste, values, and lifestyle fit.
By volume, liquid milk is the most consumed dairy product throughout the developing world. Traditionally, demand is for liquid milk in urban centres and fermented milk in rural areas, but processed products are becoming increasingly important in many countries.
North Indian cuisines are particularly well known to rely heavily on dairy products. A distinctive feature of Punjabi cuisine is the use of paneer, a type of cheese. The Punjabi dal makhani is a rich stew of black lentils, kidney beans, butter and cream.