Interesting item from Africa, via IPP Media:

The World Health Organization recommends that people drink 200 litres of milk a year, but the average Tanzanian only drinks 43 litres. The Tanzanian Dairy Board recently announced a "milk drinking week" scheduled for the end of May 2012 to encourage people to drink more and help out local agriculture:

"Despite having millions of cattle, goats and sheep, Tanzania has failed to tap the dairy market.
The country has about 21.3 million cattle 90 percent of which are of indigenous types. It is estimated that annual milk production stands at over 1 billion litres but the rate of milk drinking among Tanzanians is very low.

Read the full article here.

Whole Foods Stores in New York City have begun selling their original "Point of Origin," a washed-rind, raw cow's milk cheese. The stinky cheese is washed in local Sixpoint Brownstone Brown Ale, and will be available in Whole Foods across the Northeast shortly.

Its grassy aroma, with a whiff of malt, does not announce its presence boldly. The sticky rind is beige and deepens in color as it ages; the satiny ivory cheese within is mellow, with a sweetly tangy bite. Not ready for Époisses? This is the cheese for you.

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Photo by Ed Kwon

From The Atlantic's video channel comes this historic, informational video about milk production shows just how far we've progressed in the dairy industry.

Triple Goodness, a promotional film from Foremost Dairies, celebrates the technological advances that modernized the dairy industry. The appeal of the film is its retro footage of a classic dairy farm and, of course, the milkman delivering glass bottles door to door.

A Norman Rockwell-Worthy 1948 Film About Milk

Over at the Smithsonian Magazine's blog, writer Peter Smith muses on the supposed benefits of raw milk and what's really fueling the movement:

The health benefit of raw milk remains speculative and its risks remain high—milk is an excellent medium for the growth of pathogenic bacteria. But the GABRIELA study may hint at something else: the health halo of a nostalgic, if apocryphal, place. What little scientific research there is came from the Alps—a sort of Hunza Valley of the West—a place seemingly removed from the ills of modern society, home to Heidi and the curative powers of her grandfather’s goat’s milk (an idea in Nathaneal Johnson’s blog and forthcoming book, The Heidi Hypothesis). Then again, when has the quest for pure, natural foods really hinged on rational arguments?

A new European study shows that children who grow up in contact with cows and cow's milk have a reduced risk of allergies and asthma. These findings were based on contact with European farms, which are generally family-run and have a plethora of vegetation and animals:

Her team found that 11 percent of the farm-raised kids had asthma, compared to about 16 percent of the kids who visited farms but weren't raised on one.

Among the children who never spent time on a farm, 18 percent had asthma.

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Photo by Sunny Ripert

The naming business is tough, especially when it comes to cheese. Emmi Roth USA has agreed to drop the name "gruyere" from its "Grand Cru Gruyere," in response to pressure from the Swiss Gruyere industry. According to the Monroe Times,

Emmi Group CEO Urs Riedener said in a statement the company's decision sends "a powerful message" in support of the Swiss gruyere industry, which is currently stalled in a trademark application of the phrase "le gruyere" with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Emmi is a Swiss-owned company, and its Swiss parent company was critical in initiating the change:

Souffles are crowd pleasers, whether sweet or savory. They're light and airy, yet decadently rich with the complex flavors of cheese and egg. Nicole Spiridakis of NPR's Kitchen Window unlocks the secrets to making a perfect souffle. And the biggest secret of all? It's not so hard once you give it a go! She offers tips and a few tasty recipes.

I bested my souffle-making fears years ago, when the image of a softly steaming, softly puffed, softly melting marriage of egg and cheese and cream got me delirious enough to overcome any worries of failure. In truth, I can't recall how that first attempt turned out, but it must have been good enough for me to keep going. I haven't stopped.

Read the full story here.

A far cry from rescuing cats in trees, these brave Brazilian firefighters hoisted a terrified cow that had fallen down a well. The Daily Mail has some fantastic photos:

A team of fire fighters and other rescue workers came to the aid of the cow after it fell down a well in the Jardim Hanna neighbourhood of Guarulhos in Brazil. It is unclear how long the animal had been trapped at the bottom of the muddy pit, but it was up to its neck in water - with time fast running out.

Read more and see the amazing images.

Photo by Locomotive Stillstand

Turn a cheese plate into a sweeter display with this recipe from Food Network's "Cupcake Wars."

Peel the cupcake away from its liner, and place upside down on the top of a new, fresh liner. The narrow end of the cupcake should be facing up at this point. Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of the Brown Sugar Fig Sauce on top of each cupcake, allowing the sauce and figs to drip down the sides. Fill a piping bag equipped with a star tip with the Honey Goat Cheese Frosting, and pipe stars on the top of each cupcake. Sprinkle the tops of the cupcakes with the Parmesan.

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Photo by Food Network

If your Guinness isn't thick enough, check out this decadent recipe from Chowhound.

Malty Guinness and rich vanilla ice cream: a dreamy, frothy, creamy combination. This milk shake would be perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration or equally delicious sipped poolside in August... We found that using a can of Guinness instead of a bottle ensures a creamier consistency.

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Photo by LenDog64