An intriguing little detail in all this frothy commerce is that many people in China, like much of Asia, are lactose intolerant. Human children produce an enzyme that allows them to digest milk, but in much of the world, its levels taper off as they grow up.
Yet today, China is the third-largest milk producer in the world, estimated to have around 13m dairy cows, and the average person has gone from barely drinking milk at all to consuming about 30kg of dairy produce a year.
Third, from the Chinese traditional dietary culture, from ancient times to the present, the Han people have never formed the habit of drinking milk. Ancient Chinese books have often mentioned animal milk, but it is often used as medicine.
Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose in milk because they lack the lactase enzyme. A 1981 study found that the percentage of people with lactose intolerance changes from region to region. In East Asia, the numbers are insanely high; 90-100% of East Asians are lactose intolerant.
Although the purpose of the research was not to investigate lactose intolerance and milk acceptability directly, the observations strongly indicate that Chinese children can drink milk.
Livestock was too busy for dairy
Which makes sense. But the biggest reason Asian cultures don't regularly incorporate cheese into their cooking is probably because so many East Asians are lactose intolerant. In fact, they're drastically more likely to be lactose intolerant than Westerners.
Using slit-bottom pants called kaidangku, Chinese children have traditionally used very few diapers. Instead, they're encouraged from as early as a few days old to release when they're held over a toilet.
Lactose intolerance in adulthood is most prevalent in people of East Asian descent, with 70 to 100 percent of people affected in these communities. Lactose intolerance is also very common in people of West African, Arab, Jewish, Greek, and Italian descent.
China is not just a land of milk and honey for dairy producers since there are several factors hindering the development of China's dairy market. First, Asian people are genetically predisposed to lactase-deficiency: around 92% of adults suffer from lactose intolerance in China.
Estimates for lactose intolerance vary by ethnicity. African American and Asian ethnicities see a 75% - 95% lactose intolerance rate, while northern Europeans have a lower rate at 18% - 26% lactose intolerance. For some people, drinking milk with their morning cereal is all the dairy they need for the day.
Which countries do not drink a lot of milk? China, despite a growing interest in milk, is again near the very bottom, just above North Korea and Indonesia, where people basically don't drink milk.
Milk and dairy products have become an indispensable part of the Japanese diet. Milk and dairy products are now a common sight in refrigerators in Japanese homes, but when and how did they start to take root in our daily lives?
The country with the highest per capita consumption of fluid milk in 2021 was Belarus. The average person in Belarus consumed about 114.9 kilograms of milk in that year.
In 2020, Chinese population consumed on average 13 kilograms of milk and dairy products per person. Even though per capita dairy consumption in China increased slightly since 2016, it remains relatively low compared to other countries worldwide.
In China, the rates and duration of exclusive breastfeeding are still relatively low in many areas. A survey conducted in the central and western regions of China reported a rate of exclusive breastfeeding of 58.3% for newborns (aged 0 to 27 days), which declined to 29.1% at 3–4 months and 13.6% at 5–6 months [1].
According to the NIH, in adults lactose intolerance shows up most often in people of East Asian heritage, affecting 70 to 100% of the population. Encyclopaedia Britannica adds that the condition affects about 75 to 90% of Native Americans, Black people, Asians, Mediterraneans, and Jewish people.
In fact, China has a rich and complex history with alcohol, with long-established traditions and etiquette when it comes to alcohol consumption. This form of consumption is usually social or celebratory and has historically been an integral part of Chinese culture.
Without lactase, we cannot properly digest the lactose in milk. As a result, if an adult drinks a lot of milk they may experience flatulence, painful cramps and even diarrhoea.
Is the consumption of cow's milk essential for proper health? The bottom line is no, dairy products are not a nutritional requirement for humans.
Cutting out dairy means you get less B12, which is important within your immune system and helping your body fight off bacteria. Harju-Westman says you can combat this by taking a B12 supplement and eating foods fortified with the vitamin.
Unlike in developed countries, most public toilets in China do not provide toilet paper onsite and users must bring their toilet paper. Moreover, an open waste bin is placed in each user's cubicle to collect used toilet paper and tissues.
Sleeping in the same bed as their parents is very common in young Chinese children, being present in up to 79% of pre-school children and 53% of school-aged children. It is socially acceptable to Chinese parents as a natural part of the child-rearing process.
Kai dang ku (开裆裤), which translates literally as “split-crotch-pants,” are the traditional Chinese alternative to diapers: coverings that are open through the middle so toddlers can relieve themselves without obstacle whenever they feel the need.