Food News

How does Australia’s first legal raw milk taste?

Does it actually taste “raw”? How does it froth? How does it hold up in a cuppa? We take Made by Cow’s cold pressed milk for a test drive.

By Maggie Scardifield
Made by Cow's raw milk
When 3000 bottles of the first raw milk to be legally sold in Australia hit the shelves last month, it sold out within 24 hours.
A month later, the dust has settled and the shelves have been restocked with Made by Cow's cold pressed raw milk. The GT team sat down for a glass of milk, a bowl of muesli, a flat white and a cup of tea to ask: what does "raw" milk really taste like? Is it better? And for $5 for 750mL of the Jersey milk, is it worthy of the price tag?
Here's what we found.
Straight up
Even in the bottle, Made by Cow's milk looks almost custard-like. The colour is a very pale yellow and as it's poured, it coats the glass in a way that suggests it might also coat the mouth. Surprisingly, it doesn't. It's rich, full-bodied and tasty. The mouthfeel is similar to regular full-cream milk - it's not cloying and there's a very subtle and underlying sweetness. There's an odd sourish smell that we can't say we're into, but if you like your milk "un-messed with" and by the glass, you won't be disappointed.
A bowl of muesli
No need for yoghurt here - the milk lends a welcome creaminess to cereal and, left to sit, it soaks into the oats well. It's been argued that heat pasteurisation dulls the flavour and texture of milk. Whether or not that's the case, it's hard to say, but Made by Cow - which relies on cold pressurisation technology rather than any heat pasteurisation - shows absolutely no sign of wateriness. It's far more filling than skim milk and will keep you going until the afternoon.
A raw milk cuppa
You won't need sugar or honey with your regular cup of Earl Grey - the raw milk adds a touch of natural sweetness. Despite how creamy it is, the milk doesn't curdle or create any film on the surface (the cream does float to the top when it's in the bottle, however) and it also didn't overpower the tea.
A raw milk flat white
"It froths somewhere between skim and full cream," says our barista. The milk goes down quite well in a flat white, lending a sort of custardy flavour with an odd note of raw cacao on the finish. It's blessedly not thick like custard, but lends a fuller, more voluptuous note to our morning coffee.
The verdict
There's been some argument about whether or not you can call it "raw", given Made by Cow's milk still undergoes a pressurisation treatment before it is deemed safe to drink. But whether you call it raw, cold pressed, unhomogenised or otherwise, there's no doubt about it - Made by Cow is a tasty milk. It's thicker and creamier than your regular supermarket brands and, after various taste tests, it seems to stand up to most of our daily milk needs. At $5 for just 750ml, it's certainly not cheap - especially if you're a family working through two litres or more every couple of days. But for smaller households, it stands up to the price, thanks to an extended shelf-life of about 4-5 weeks. It would be great over ice or in a milkshake and, if you're so inclined, it also looks like just the kind of milk for dunking our best cookies into.
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  • undefined: Maggie Scardifield