I enjoy trying unusual or difficult to find foods to try and find my own internal Balance of Food. One food has eluded me for a long time: raw milk. As we've noted in several stories, you can score any major illegal drug easier than getting a glass of unpasteurized milk in many parts of the United States.
I came out at the beginning of 2014 and pleaded for help in finding raw milk. The search took until September 2015, but I finally scored raw milk.
The catch is that I didn't find the raw milk in the United States but in a market in London, England.
No trenchcoats or secret codes or whispers in the dark. Just walked up to a stand in the market and asked for raw milk. Money was exchanged in broad daylight (£3 for 2 pints) and I had a container of raw milk in my hand.
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The joy of raw milk didn't lie in the taste of raw milk but in the potential health benefits of drinking raw milk over a long period of time. Still, how raw milk tasted was really important because you still have to like raw milk to get the benefits.
I closed my eyes as I drank from the jug of raw milk. The milk tasted lighter than traditional milk with a bit of grass in the milk. The raw milk tasted good but different, maybe not quench your thirst good, but drink by itself or use in coffee or cereal good.
Raw milk is a bit of a roll of the dice, even more when you consume it on vacation. Then again, England has an excellent health system. Buying the milk from an established source did give me some piece of mind. Even if none of that were true, I would still drink the raw milk.
I had no health concern or issue in drinking the raw milk. With the second container I got, I did have it out most of the day without being refrigerated, then refrigerated it overnight, and drank it the next morning and still had no issues.
After having drank 3 pints of raw milk, I had to admit that the secrecy felt pretty silly. Even if raw milk was more readily available, few in the United States would ever drink it. For many, the slight risk does not justify the reward.
There are many adults who would indulge in raw milk if they didn't have to go through a secret network to make that happen. These adults should have the right to drink raw milk without fear.
In the previous stories, we've noted how ridiculous the anti raw milk side has been. This was all the more reason to try raw milk to see for myself whether the concern was justified.
Again, raw milk is not for everyone. The very young and old and those with vulnerabilities are more susceptible to the potential negative effects of raw milk. Know what the concerns are and respond accordingly.
If I had a regular source, I could give a better idea of the long-term potential of raw milk. Short of moving to Europe, that scenario isn't likely. If your definition of freedom means drinking raw milk, find a good opportunity and go for it. Hopefully, you can score raw milk easier than flying to Europe for the privilege.
photo credit: me
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