Although we lived in the Middle East for six months now, close encounters with camels  are not on a daily basis as they do not roam around just like that  in this highly urbanized city as thought by some.

Camels at Dubai Creekside Park

Camels are often called “Ships of the Desert” and very truly so. These animals existed even during biblical times and used to transport people and goods crossing the dry and very hot deserts of Africa and the Middle East.

If I did not come here, I wouldn’t have noticed that there are two type of camels, the one-humped or the Arabian camel that is found in the very hot deserts of North Africa and the Middle East and the two-humped or the Bactrian camel that are found in the rocky deserts and steppes of Asia that get very hot or very cold. Also, the camel’s hump contains fat, NOT water. They can go without water and food for 3-4 days.

Love milk?

Tasting slightly more salty than cows’ milk, but with three times the vitamin C and up to 10 times the iron content, camel’s milk is touted as a powerful tonic against many diseases and as an aphrodisiac. 

Camel’s milk is much more nutritious than that from a cow.  It is lower in fat and lactose, a good news for those with lactose intolerance.  It is normally drunk fresh, and the warm frothy liquid, is usually an acquired taste for the Western palate. 

Camel’s milk is nutritious and delicious (some say, but I have yet to try!), non-allergic, low in fat and high in vitamin C and insulin. Additionally, it is even used in some beauty products and said to be the secret to Cleopatra’s milky complexion.

If these benefits outweigh the yuck factor some people claim, then this is a big boost to the camel milk industry.

Care to try?