Is Chinese Food Made With Milk? A Deep Dive into Dairy's Role
•
4 min read
Over 90% of the Chinese population is lactose intolerant, a major historical and genetic factor explaining why traditional Chinese food is generally not made with milk. The historical reliance on agriculture over large-scale dairy farming also shaped the cuisine, favoring ingredients like soy milk and other plant-based proteins as alternatives. This has led to a widespread misconception that no Chinese food contains dairy, though modern and regional variations do exist.
