The Richest (And Rarest) Type Of Milk To Use For The Creamiest Coffee Ever

With the ever-expanding varieties of milk available, we set out to find the absolute best type to use in your coffee and one was the clear winner: buffalo milk. If you've never heard of buffalo milk, you're not alone. Buffalo milk is rarer than other types because buffalos do not produce as much milk as dairy cows. Also, the world's dairy buffalos are concentrated in Asia, with India and Pakistan producing over 80% of the world's supply.

The reason buffalo milk is the superior coffee-pairing milk is because of its high fat content — which is why it makes such delicious mozzarella cheese. It's probably no surprise that an animal as enormous as a water buffalo produces a richer kind of milk; not only is it high in fat, but it has more protein and lactose, too. Compared to a cup of whole milk, a cup of buffalo milk boasts 9 grams more fat, 1 gram more protein, and 2 grams more lactose. Buffalo milk gives a solid mix of creaminess, nuttiness, and tangy acidity that you don't typically get from just one milk. It does pack a lot of fat flavor in a little bit of liquid so make sure to go easy when adding it to your coffee — you don't want to overpower the beans.

Because of its rarity, buffalo milk is a lot more expensive than the cow's milk you'd find at a typical grocery store. A half gallon of raw buffalo milk will run you around $25, whereas a half gallon of organic whole milk is about $5. Since cows produce five times more milk per day than buffalo, it makes sense that their milk is five times cheaper. The milk math checks out. But if you're able to get your hands on the rare dairy product, we highly recommend it as the flavor, quality, and texture of buffalo milk is unbeatable.

If you're interested in trying out buffalo milk, and the price didn't scare you away, you still have a few hoops to jump through in order to find the stuff. A few specialist creameries and farm shops will sell it in the U.S. if they have a link to a buffalo dairy. But apart from that, your best bet is to find a local farm that is raising water buffalos to make mozzarella and is willing to sell the milk. Farms that raise the animals are often only contracted to sell buffalo milk at a commercial level. As you can imagine, not all farmers have their websites up to date, so it's better to look online for local places and then call around.