Many people are going vegan and they omit both eggs and milk from their foods completely. Milk is required for tea etc.
Increasingly non-dairy products are appearing in the market. First it was soy milk, then came almonds and oatmeal milk. The food trend catching up in 2022 is the potato milk.
What is potato milk?
Potato milk, as the name suggests, has its origin in potatoes. It is made by blending a boiled potato with water, sugar, and salt.
Almonds that are soaked, peeled, and blanched can be added to this mixture for that creaminess, nuttiness, and extra proteins.
Swedish company Dug started it. The company won the 2021 World Food Innovation Award for it.
The milk also emerged a winner as the ”Best Allergy-Friendly Product” and had good ranking in the list of ”Best Plant-Based Beverage”.
Potato milk (Source: The green creator)It tastes like other milk alternatives but is thicker than normal dairy milk. But it does not have a strong flavor like oat or almond milk.
This milk is low in proteins like rice and coconut milk and is mild. It has just 0.5 g of proteins in 100 ml. Adding almond or pea protein to it can raise its protein content to 1.3 g per 100 ml.
Current availability of this product and recipe
Many companies have started manufacturing potato milk on a large scale for mass consumption as an alternative to dairy milk.
But it has yet to find place in normal shopping outlets. It is available online and in China, Sweden, and the UK. Of course, for home use one can easily make it at home with the following recipe:
Potato milk recipe (Source: The conversation)You will need water, salt, sweetener such as maple syrup, dates, coconut sugar, normal white or brown sugar or artificial sweeteners, potatoes, and almonds.
Blend all these components to a smooth texture. Strain the liquid out to remove any fibers and get a rich creamy smooth liquid. You can use it hot or cold.
Benefits and limitations of potato milk
Potato milk fares almost equally like the other milks in nutritional values. It is low in proteins but adding an external protein source to it can increase its protein content.
And soy milk is higher in proteins compared to all the non-dairy milk substitutes. It has 3 to 3.5 g proteins per 100 ml of milk. The essential amino acid content is also better in soy milk.
Potato milk also lacks in vitamins and minerals. Hence calcium, vitamin B12 and D, folic acid and riboflavin are added to it. It has added sugars that makes it less good for health.
Its fat content is also lower than almond or soy milk. Hence rapeseed oil is added to increase it. But the fat in potato milk is of the monounsaturated type and hence healthy for the heart.
It has added oils and protein extracts and thus is an ultra processed food. Whether it could cause chronic disease in the long run needs to be studied.
Potato milk vs other milks (Source: The Conversation)Potatoes are twice land efficient. Hence this milk can reduce the climate impact by 75%. In its making, it uses 56 times less water compared to almond milk.
Thus it is a low-climate footprint drink and a good alternative to regular milk. People allergic to dairy products can consume fortified potato milk on a daily basis.
Read here Bizarre food combinations of six of your favorite Hollywood stars!