Mar 11, 2010  •  In Food, NYC, Personal, Weird

Would You Try Human Breast Milk?

Last week, a NY chef made headlines by adding cheese made of human breast milk to his menu.

The dish caused quite a stir and even managed to make its way to national news outlets. Those who tried the dish found it quite tasty; however, the general public found the mere idea of healthy adults consuming human breast milk disturbing.

As an avid Friends fan, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the episode where Ross, Chandler, and Rachel freak out upon witnessing Phoebe and Joey try Carol’s breast milk.

I think that once I start breastfeeding my children, I wouldn’t mind trying a bit just to see what it tasted like. I asked J if he would try my breast milk, and he said, “Sure, why not?”

That being said, I can’t imagine trying someone else’s breast milk.

Are you comfortable with the idea of dishes made of human breast milk? Would you ever try a family member or a friend’s breast milk?

(And if you’ve tasted breast milk, does it really taste like cantaloupe, as Susan and Joey state?)

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10 Responses to “Would You Try Human Breast Milk?”

  1. Cynthia says:

    I wouldn’t try someone else human breast milk and I do find it disturbing. I did taste my own and it taste sweet, lighter than soy milk. Some say it taste like honey, your breast milk will taste different depending on what you eat.

  2. Abbie says:

    Hmmm….I don’t think that I would enjoy trying breast milk, but I don’t really like milk or cheese anyway so I am probably a lost cause.

  3. kalen says:

    i won’t care to try my own, but i wouldn’t try anyone elses – communicable diseases, um hi? but i don’t see why people find human milk more disturbing than drinking milk from cow udders or goats… to me that is so backwards in so many ways.

    it’s like they never stop and think, "wait. maybe human milk is for… gasp… humans?"

    and sometimes i hear the excuse, "no human milk is for babies," and i’m like, "yes, and cow’s milk is for COW babies."

    *shrug* 🙂

  4. Jessica says:

    I wouldn’t order this off a menu! Although I eat animal milk (cow, goat, sheep) — I get bothered when I think about where it comes from. I read that humans only developed the ability to digest cow’s milk as an anomaly anyway. Milk is for babies. I agree, though, I’ll try my own, but not as a dish – as a drop.

  5. Ashley says:

    That episode was on Monday night before Chuck!

  6. emileee says:

    If there was an excess of breast milk, shouldn’t it go to the baby, rather than some fancy overpriced dessert at an expensive restaurant? I can see being curious and wanting to try my own milk but I wouldn’t ever consume it in mass quantities and thereby deprive a baby of much needed nutrients.

  7. Ashlee says:

    Hi there, never posted before, but thought I’d add my two cents.

    I tasted my breast milk out of curiosity when I breastfed my daughter – was sweet, almost like sugar water. I can’t imagine a cheese made from breast milk to have much flavour.

    I completely agree with Kalen – it’s so backward that we’re encouraged to drink milk from an animal, made to suit their young, but are instantly freaked out that someone would willingly consume breast milk.

    Having said that, I probably would not try another mother’s breastmilk, but I have been squirted in the face by my engorged sister one morning. That same sister also obliged to my younger sister’s request of ‘squirting her in the eye’ when she had conjunctivitis.

    Ashlee. 🙂

  8. Amber says:

    You know, after having breastfed almost four months now, I have yet to try my own milk. And yeah, I have copious quantities of it, so it’s not like I’m afraid of running out. Every time I think to try it, I just stop myself. I can’t really explain why? Then again, when I feed Piper, I look at her and think, "Holy moly, I’m feeding a human. Out of my BODY." and it’s just incredible that someday I will look at an adult woman, and think that it was ME who got you this healthy.

    I’m with the majority of the posters, I wouldn’t ever try someone else’s breastmilk, especially now- I can make my own cheese if I want, why would I want someone else’s? Also, donate to a milk bank, lady, if you have so much extra! Build up a stash! But cheese? I heard he was considering gelato or ice cream next, come on. The shock factor, I get, but yeah, it’s not for me.

  9. Irene says:

    Breast milk differs both from cow’s milk in many ways.

  10. Amy says:

    I took what you said about trying breast milk and found 9 foods created from breast milk – 9 Foods Created From Breast Milk– which is your favorite?

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