[stevenjohns]

I feel like this is glancing over various points. Specifically that cows aren’t the only source of milk: sheep, goats, buffalo and horses have all been milked throughout history, and would have been the main source for milk in Rome. And it wasn’t historically looked down upon: major Abrahamic faiths venerated milk consumption. For some reason yogurt is also glanced over even though Oxygala (or something like it) would have definitely been consumed almost daily.

It seems like this is a fairly Eurocentric view. Not even that, really, but a specific-period-of-time-in-Rome view.

The Romans didn’t like butter… that’s about it. And they didn’t like it because it spoils too easily in their environment. Expanding that to dairy in general is quite a reach.

Looking at what someone eats and picking on them for it still takes place in 2021 — try sending your kid with a whole cucumber to school.

[shortsightedsid]

The article is definitely Eurocentric and skips South-East Asia and India. Milk, Butter, Ghee and Yogurt have been part of Indian culture from the start. E.g. references in the Vedas central to various rituals, Lord Krishna loving butter as a child, etc..

What I found really interesting is the premise that the article makes about spoilage. If dairy spoils in the warmer Mediterranean causing the inhabitants to find it unappealing, then why is it that the people living in hotter climate of India found dairy to be integral to their diet? Is it because because of Ghee which has a longer shelf life?

And Yogurt too - even today - integral to any number of Indian households.

[captain_price7]

Am from Indian subcontinent. Butter isn't exactly that popular where I'm from (Bangladesh). Milk is usually collected at dawn and consumed in liquid form before the day is over, no need to store anything.

[duncan-donuts]

I think yogurt is an exception here because it ferments quickly and doesn’t necessarily need refrigeration. A number of the Indian families I know will make yogurt every day. I suppose you could make a similar argument that butter could be made daily in small batches, but the labor involved in butter making is orders of magnitude greater.

[xyzzyz]

Ghee doesn’t spoil without refrigeration like butter does, which is why it has been popular in India.

[stevenjohns]

Actually it would be exactly that — when it mentions butter it’s highly unlikely that it is referring to clarified butter.

[captain_price7]

> major Abrahamic faiths venerated milk consumption

In Islam, Milk is considered the drink of paradise. There are quite a few ayats (verses) in Quran about the greatness of Milk.

https://damdaran.ir/en/articles/a-glance-at-milk-from-quran-...

[account-5]

A whole cucumber? As in an approx foot long fruit. I'm an adult, mostly, but if a colleague pulled out a whole cucumber and started munching on it you know I'm commenting about it!

[bserge]

Growing up we only had the short (10-15cm) variety, and indeed I was munching on them lol

When I first saw the long ones I was like "wtf did they do to them?". They also taste worse imo, but that could be because of greenhouse growth.

[watwut]

That is because there is culture of not eating vegetables. Cucumber tastes good, is quite watery and does not have to be huge.

[pvaldes]

Would made a nice anti-bulling food. The Veggies for bullies movement.

[yunohn]

Why are you commenting on your colleagues’ food? Moreover, something as normal as a vegetable.

[thaumasiotes]

> Specifically that cows aren’t the only source of milk: sheep, goats, buffalo and horses have all been milked throughout history

Sheep and goats are major sources of milk today, just not milk for direct consumption.