Donkey milk
The raw material explains everything: the price, the rarity, the texture of the cheese and even why goat's milk has to be added.
An unusual composition
Donkey milk stands out for a very low fat content, a high lactose level and a protein fraction dominated by whey proteins rather than caseins. Its composition is often described as one of the closest to human milk among farmed milks, which explains the long-standing interest in it.
| Parameter | Donkey milk | Cow's milk |
|---|---|---|
| Fat | very low | ≈ 3.5 % |
| Lactose | high | ≈ 4.7 % |
| Total protein | low | ≈ 3.2 % |
| Casein share | minor | dominant |
| Coagulation behaviour | very poor | good |
Why it makes no cheese on its own
Cheesemaking relies on caseins precipitating under the action of rennet. A milk poor in casein gives a fragile gel at best and nothing at all at worst. That is the technical reason why commercial donkey cheeses are blends, with a share of goat's — more rarely sheep's — milk supplying the missing structure.
Other uses of donkey milk
Historically, donkey milk has mostly been used in cosmetics and as a substitute in infant feeding. Today it appears in soaps and creams, and in freeze-dried form. Cheese remains by far its rarest and costliest application.
We make no health claims about this product. Donkey cheese is a food enjoyed for pleasure; it contains lactose and dairy proteins, and is therefore unsuitable for anyone allergic to milk proteins or intolerant to lactose.