Milk: an everyday product with a long history

Milk is not a "magic pill," but a simple product with a centuries-old cultural biography. Its composition includes water, milk protein, milk fat, lactose, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iodine, vitamins B2 and B12. This is not a long list, but it is balanced: about 3–3.5 g of protein per 100 ml and calcium, which is absorbed better than from most plant sources, reports UNN.

"Milk works quietly: it doesn't take away the taste of dishes, but enhances texture and nutritional value."

How does milk differ from other products?

• Neutrality and nutritional value. In porridge, it makes the grain creamy, in sauces — it acts as a soft emulsifier, in baked goods — it gives an even crust.
• Proteins and calcium. Casein retains moisture, whey proteins create foam when heated.
• Convenience. For people with calcium or iodine deficiency, this is a simple way to meet daily needs.

What limitations should you be aware of?

• Lactose intolerance — a normal variant in adults. Solution: kefir, yogurt, ryazhenka, or lactose-free milk.
• Fat content. Whole milk keeps you full longer, but has more calories. Options with 1.5–2.5% fat are suitable for a daily diet.
• Protein allergy — not the same as lactose intolerance. Here, a doctor's consultation and individual selection of alternatives are needed.

How does technology change the taste?

• Pasteurization preserves "milkiness."
• Ultra-pasteurization (UHT) adds a slight caramel note and a longer shelf life.
• Skim milk often seems "watery," but works perfectly in cream soups, sauces, or baked goods where other ingredients define the taste.

What benefits does milk provide?

• Calcium + phosphorus — for strong bones and teeth.
• Vitamin B12 — almost absent in plant products, but critically important for energy and the nervous system.
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) — the engine of cellular metabolism.
• Potassium — maintains water and salt balance in the body.

Where does milk work best in the kitchen?

• Béchamel sauce. Butter + flour + milk and slow heating — a classic.
• Ricotta. Milk, lemon or vinegar, and cheesecloth — and you have a delicate homemade cheese.
• Baking. Lactose caramelizes the crust, adds elasticity to pancakes, and softens the texture in mashed potatoes.
• Coffee. Foam from whey proteins creates "nutritious warmth" in cappuccino.

How to store milk properly?

• Keep at 0–4 °C.
• Opened pasteurized milk — up to 2–3 days, UHT — up to a week.
• Do not return heated milk to the refrigerator.

Practice for the city

At the online supermarket VARUS.ua, it's convenient to keep different formats at home:

• whole — for coffee and foam,
• 2.5% — for porridges and sauces,
• lactose-free — for the evening,
• kefir or yogurt — for the microbiota.

"Rotation of dairy products is not a stock, but a precise adjustment to your rhythm of life."

Concluding image

In the evening, a pot of milk quietly heats on the stove. A slightly caramel scent fills the kitchen. Today it will become cream for mashed potatoes, tomorrow — yogurt, the day after tomorrow — a sip in coffee. Milk promises nothing, but it always does its job — and that is its strength.