Importance of camel milk - An alternative dairy food

Camel is known as “Ship of the Desert”. Camel milk is different from cow milk in its chemical composition but it contains all essential nutrients as cow milk. Indian camels yield 3.5 kg to 10 kg of milk per day. The taste of camel milk depends upon availability of plants for grazing. The water content of camel milk fluctuates from 84 percent to 90 percent. Camel keepers utilize milk either raw, boiled or for tea preparation. Various camel milk products were prepared and commercialized available viz., ice cream/ kulfi with different flavors, flavored milk, fermented milk, cheese, tea and coffee. The vitamin C levels are three times that of cow milk and one-anda-half that of human milk. Camel milk is used for treating dropsy, jaundice, spleen ailments, tuberculosis, asthma, anemia and piles.