why don't the Chinese like dairy products?

Question

apparently they are lactose intolerant aswell, is it true

Answer 1

I think that you've hit the nail on the head. Many people of Asian descent, not just the Chinese, are lactose intolerant.

If, as the link below states, 93% of Chinese people can't digest lactase, then there would be very little reason for the Chinese, as a people, to incorporate dairy into the diet.

It's natural to be averse to foods that make you sick. Perhaps the lack of dairy ingredients in Chinese cuisine reflects the overwhelming prevalence of lactose intolerance.

This was an interesting question to think about and research.

Answer 2

Actually, lactose intolerance is a major reason for this (albeit not the only one), so in that sense you're absolutely right. Lactose intolerance is indeed much more common in many parts of Asia (not just China) than among people of European origin (incl. those living in the Americas and Australia).

It is worth noting that lactose intolerance is not an illness, allergy or otherwise an extraordinary state, but in fact that's the norm. Mammals (incl. humans) are fed exclusively with their mother's milk after birth, and therefore their system is very good at making use of the nutrients in milk, incl. the sugar (lactose). Gradually, as the baby is weaned off milk and develops a system capable of digesting other foods, the body's ability to digest milk reduces in exchange for its ability to digest other things. Nature has not intended milk to be consumed by grown-up mammals (at least not in large quantities), and therefore by adult age the ability to digest lactose naturally greatly reduces or even disappears altogether. This is what I meant by lactose intolerance being the normal state as nature intended.

In Northern/Western European culture milk and dairy products have historically been important sources of nutrition, and therefore people have over the centuries and millenia grown accustomed to digesting them. They probably always suffered from some side effects, but in the old days it would have been called just 'tummy troubles' whereas now it's diagnosed as lactose intolerance.

Many cultures outside of Europe use dairy products, of course, but mainly in the form of cheese and yoghurt, both of which are lower in lactose than fresh milk and therefore easier to digest. They also store better, which has lead to their more widespread adoption, and hence a bigger role in many food cultures.

Answer 3

We do, the dairy products don't like us! Lactose intolerance is one of the reasons.

I love milk but get indigestion from too much. It could be genetic, too, because our ancestors are used to soya products.

We also lack an enzyme which helps us process alcohol, hence Chinese people tend to go red when having only a few drinks.

Having said that, it is very general because I know many Chinese/Orientals who drink like fishes and can eat loads of dairy products.

And we don't generalise, we treat people as individuals and on their own merits... it's called being human.

Answer 4

Many asiatic people are in the B blood group, which is associated with lactose intolerance.
Milk is meant for young animals, and doesn't do adult mammals a lot of good, too much fat - loads of weight etc.
Most dairy products are manufactured, so the nutrition (and calories) are concentrated.
Some Chinese do use dairy products (Yak butter etc.) but they have discovered that it is probably better to live without them.
(But I love cheese)

Answer 5

not all people in one "race" are the same, i mean if one is lactose intolerant that doesn't make all of that group lactose intolerant. that would be like asking why do Africans not like pizza. it is just what people are used to eating and drinking because of location. maybe some people in the us can't tolerate some things from India, that wouldn't make all of the us people intolerant to Indian food, you get it? :-)


and purplrthrob doesn't know what he's talking about. the smell, come on now. duh, I'm not Chinese, I'm Korean, but i even know that's not true

Answer 6

Funny, I was just discussing this with my son this morning!

Most humans lose the ability to digest lactose after infancy. (It's the enzyme lactase that breaks down lactose in infants; most humans throughout the world stop making lactase as they grow up. This is why cultures in central Asia and Africa that do use dairy always ferment it or otherwise curdle it, as this breaks down the lactose and makes the proteins usable without causing digestive problems.)

In western Europe, however, the climate was conducive to raising cattle for milk, cheese, and other dairy production. This meant there was an evolutionary advantage to people born in this part of the world who did NOT stop producing lactase after infancy.

Most Asian cultures do not include dairy as part of their diet (when we were adopting my Korean sister, the Korean Social Welfare Agency gave us a handbook that included the warning, "Koreans do not like cheese"). While this is certainly connected with lactase, it's also no doubt due to the fact that cattle are VERY resource intensive, and the climate throughout southern and central Asia is not conducive to storing dairy products (which is probably why paneer is only served fresh).

Or it could be that the Mandarin word for milk translates as "cow oil," which is unappetizing enough that my red-blond, grey-eyed son has been known to declare himself Asian when I point this out. :-)

But my FAVORITE Chinese-dairy-product story comes from a trip to Shanghai. I had been touring the Cultural Museum with friends from the Shanghai office, born in Shanghai but educated in New Jersey. They mentioned how popular pizza had become in Shanghai (this was in 1997). I asked whether there was any resistance, given what I remembered about my Chinese students in the U.S. and their distaste for cheese.

"Oh, pizza is how I learned to like cheese!" he said. "I even got to where I could eat a cheese sandwich -- but only with American cheese. That stuff with the holes -- whoo! That smells worse than my socks!"

I laughed, and wondered what he'd think about a really ripe French camembert or an aged chevre, but said nothing.

"Hey, would you like to try this?" he asked, gesturing to his lunch. I thanked him and tried some; it was quite good, tasting like liver-flavored tofu in a clear, delicate broth, topped with minced scallions.

"You know what it is, don't you?" he asked.

"It's curdled pigs-blood, isn't it?" I asked. He nodded. "I've read about it but never had it, it's pretty good!"

Answer 7

I was raised on milk and it's related by- products now they just make me feel sick but at least once a month i can't resit a milkshake then the gut pain,,,,,,,,, so the chinese probably figured that other foods are easy to make/grow were better for them. Remember info on whats "good for U" is paid for by big corps that can afford to make me say whatever they want and I don't lie cheap!

Answer 8

Milk is really not part of the Chinese culture. They don't farm cattle like we do in the west. They eat a lot of goose, duck, chicken, seafood and pork. No beef. Ginger beef is a western dish. If you haven't grown up with cow's milk, you're probably not going to want it in your diet.

Answer 9

Milk and yoghurt are strongly promoted in China, but there visn't much cheese or butter. I have 800 students, and about 50 of them say that milk is included in their favourire foods.

Answer 10

If it's true, it could be a traditional thing- I can't think of any Chinese dishes that use milk.