Milk and dairy

Dairy in China is a major issue. A large percentage of the population may suffer from lactose intolerance, but that doesn’t mean that it has little importance here.

The reality is just the opposite. In provinces such as Inner Mongolia and Yunnan, dairy has a historic prevalence in the local diet. It is big business here, but a major problem in China is the lack of arable grassland needed to feed cattle – a likely reason why pork, rather than beef, rules in Chinese cuisine. This affects the quality of milk available in China and has led to a number of devastating consequences.

Milk must be tested and meet national standards for human consumption before being sold, but few dairies in China are able to produce milk that meets the level of quality deemed good enough by other developed nations. Most Chinese dairy cattle are nutritionally deficient simply because of poor feed and lack of grassland pasture. Consequently, some dairies dilute milk to increase the volume, while others buy surplus higher-quality milk from other dairies to blend and meet requirements.

In 2008, melamine became a household word. For those who still don’t know, melamine is a chemical high in nitrogen that is cheap to manufacture in China, and adding it to milk became a well-known profitable practice to boost protein levels. The tainted milk products were globally recalled after it was discovered that the additive caused renal failure and kidney stones, plus the deaths of at least six children.

The government responded with executions and prison terms but the problem has persisted. According to news agency Reuters, the government recently lowered the required protein level minimums from 2.95 per cent to 2.8 per cent in an effort to combat problems with continued melamine lacing and the overall lack of nutrition in animals.

In Beijing we have better options and opposite are local sources that produce natural and nutritious dairy products with no additives, chemicals, hormones or antibiotics. For those of us who choose to live here, we need to think more carefully about what the phrase ‘eat local’ really means. The beautiful thing about life in Beijing is that the local milkman still exists and can deliver to your door.

Albert Tseng, a Taiwanese-American with a penchant for cows, made his dream come true by creating Huaxia Dairy with business partner Charles Shao. Since Albert passed away, his son Alex has taken over.

The mostly Holstein and Jersey cattle feed on a combination of imported grass and grain feed. Quality standards remain high, surpassing all local requirements and exceeding those of the US and EU, and the majority of its raw milk is sold to conventional dairies because of its high nutritional content.

Huaxia Dairy is a transparent company that gives to the community and opens itself to teaching and consulting with local farmers; the decision not to get organic certification is a conscious one. They are the chosen supplier to many restaurants, including Beijing’s only cheesemaker Liu Yang (see Le Fromager de Pékin, below), and their latest venture is a new frozen yoghurt shop in Sanlitun Village.

Chairman Wang Zhangli is the man behind Green Yard Dairy, an unusual company that is the only certified organic dairy in Beijing. The nearly self-sufficient compound in Yanqing county farms Holsteins, Jerseys and Ashkenazi Simmental cattle, among others. They currently produce milk and yoghurt varieties processed onsite with a team of researchers and veterinarians, but there are plans to make cheese in the future and their dairy is also certified kosher.

Green Yard strive to be transparent and, in 2006, received organic certification requiring yearly renewal. The animals are treated with TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) rather than antibiotics. Wang runs a nearly self-sufficient farm, complete with fruit trees, vegetable production and a biogas and sewage treatment station on hand to process animal waste without damaging the environment.

Cattle are raised on mostly homegrown feed and grasses from Inner Mongolia, as well as local pasture and corn, all grown organically. Wang is a former restaurant owner and it’s no surprise that he’s still involved with a private restaurant on the farm that makes use of six-month-old milk-fed veal. Dinner at the restaurant is an extraordinary treat and requires some serious guanxi or a special invitation.

Zhang Zhimin, or Therese Rose, is a fi erce organic farmer. Her recent addition of less than a dozen cows has made raw milk available in small quantities as a part of her organic produce list that includes fruit, vegetables, chickens, occasional lamb homemade tofu, soy milk, beans, flour, and more.

Her raw milk is exactly that: untreated, unpasteurised and not homogenised, so expect a little separation of cream on top and give the small containers a good shake before using.

Lejen Chen and her husband Shan En run the Green Cow Farm, a community supported agriculture project. They have eight Holsteins (two for milking) originally intended as a source of natural fertiliser for the farm. The feed for the cattle is farm-raised, making the milk production part of a complete farm cycle.

Their Shunyi restaurant, Mrs Shanen’s, offers pasteurised but not homogenised organic milk by the glass, occasional soft-serve fresh ice cream and freshly churned butter in small quantities. Milk may be sold based on availability.

Liu Yang went to France on a scholarship and fell in love with cheese. He went on to stay there for six years, learning his craft, before bringing it back to Beijing where he now makes artisanal cheese at his shop, Le Fromager de Pékin, north of the Sixth Ring Road.

The enterprise is just over a year old, and, at the moment, the bulk of his business is built through word of mouth. Those who haven’t had a slice of his locally made tomme, a hard cheese that is aged for 45 days (and a newer addition to his collection), are in for a treat.

The best thing about Liu Yang is that he’s just getting started. Wild with creative expansion ideas, he’s now starting to make goat’s cheese after finding local goat herders willing to supply him the necessary raw material. To allow for more variety and sampling, Liu has created mixed-cheese platters that are extremely party friendly and come in two sizes.

Dutch cheesemaker Marc de Ruiter is the founder and owner of Yellow Valley Cheese. He’s found his niche in Shanxi province, where he makes quality Gouda, including original, cumin, Italian spice, onion and garlic, and herbes de Provence varieties, all for sale in selected areas across China.

Marc de Ruiter is not qualified as organic due to the high cost of certification, however, the milk he uses is organic by his own standards, with no additives or hormones. He will use antibiotics to treat sick animals if necessary (not for regular prevention) and is transparent about his practices.

His personal commitment to fair trade practices also helps foster jobs and better working conditions in the village that has become his home.