Here's Why People Are Putting Camel Milk In Their Coffee. No, Really.

Hump, there it is.

Maybe you've tried soy milk in your morning latte, and almond milk has been hyped to a nutty degree. Common cow milk makes a fairly delicious drink, too.

But there's one add-in you likely haven't tried with your coffee yet: Milk from ... THIS GUY.

Say hello to the source of your new favorite beverage.
Getty Images
Say hello to the source of your new favorite beverage.

Yup, camel milk has been cropping up in coffee cups all over the U.S. during the past couple of years, as an alternative to both cow milk and nut milks.

The stuff is indeed nutritious, with three times as much Vitamin C as cow milk and high levels of iron, B vitamins and unsaturated fatty acids, The Wall Street Journal reports. It also has half the saturated fat of cow milk, according to Desert Farms, one of the premiere camel milk distributors in the country.

Mmm.

A camel gets milked in Yemen.
huseyintuncer via Getty Images
A camel gets milked in Yemen.

Interest in camel milk peaked in 2014, when Desert Farms made it commercially available in the U.S. for the first time. (It's been popular in the Middle East for ages.)

People say American camel milk tastes "slightly sweet, creamy" and "slightly salty," "like someone left a pretzel in a glass of regular milk."

In the Middle East, camel milk may have a more "nutty, smoky" flavor similar to "Bratwurst," as one fan describes it. Of course, this is because camels in different countries tend to have different diets.

Desert Farms sells its camel milk at specialty grocery and health food stores in California. Curious customers in other states can order from their website, but don't expect it to be cheap: Six 8-ounce containers of raw, frozen camel milk will set you back $60, plus the cost of shipping.

That's a moo-untain of cash.

You can also order from the Michigan-based Camel Milk Association, where pints are similarly pricey. It's hard to tell if camel milk will ever be widely sold in the U.S., but if you're game to spend a bit, it'd be worth a try for novelty's sake. Various studies and case reports have stated that camel milk can ease diabetes and alleviate autism symptoms, and some reviewers report side effects like a "boost of energy and mental clarity" after sipping the stuff consecutively.

So, is camel milk the real magic ingredient for your a cup of coffee? We're hoofing it to go find out.

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