China and Milk Products

[liuzhou]

For years I've argued against the notion that China doesn't have milk products, which so many books and websites claim. In all my local supermarkets, the dairy aisles have more space than anything else.

 

Finally here is a lucid explanation by someone more knowledgeable than me.

[KennethT]

Interesting story... I still don't understand how the ethnic Han (95% of China's population according to the article) are congenitally lactose intolerant, but drinking lots of milk.  Does the CCP also hand out lactose tablets with each milk purchase?  Or does the human population now create more methane than the cows?

[liuzhou]

I've never believed that so many Han Chinese are lactose intolerant.  I have many Han Chinese friends and most, if not all, consume milk in one form or other. Also, the supermarkets and corner shops wouldn't stock so much of it, if no one was buying it.

I suspect that many people SAY they are intolerant, but actually just don't particularly like it. Just like so many people claiming to be gluten intolerant all of a sudden - few of them actually are.
 
Chinese people have some strange notions about food and health, though. Just yesterday, a friend who is coming for dinner next week called me to say that she can't eat bean products, fish or chillies. Having cooked all three for her before without any objections, I asked her "why not?"

"Oh! I've had my ears pierced"

I thought that this was some kind of non-sequitor but no; she truly believed that such foods are somehow detrimental post ear piercing. This is not the first time I've come across such nonsense.