Breast Milk Cheese: The Latest In Fine Dining?

   By drodriguez  Mar 29, 2010
41

Even some who would consider themselves adventurous diners may be turned off by an item that one of New York City’s top chefs has added to the menu.  After the birth of his recent child, Chef Daniel Angerer, has concocted a cheese made from the breast milk of his wife.  Daniel Angerer’s restaurant, Klee Brasserie, is a popular New York City eatery featuring this item on the menu.  Angerer may be best known for beating Bobby Flay in the Food Network’s "Iron Chef" competition.  He is now serving the breast milk cheese with figs and Hungarian cheese. 

Angerer’s cheese dish was recently featured on the Today show where a guest chef on the show, Billy Dec was given a taste of the cheese without knowing exactly what it was.  After chewing and swallowing, he was told it was "mother’s milk" and was shocked, but then continued eating the appetizer off camera.  Though some show disgust for the dish, others wonder what the big deal is.  After all, we drink milk from cows and goats, so why not our own kind?

Lori Mason, Angerer’s wife, tries to explain why she thinks some have a problem with the idea of consuming human breast milk.  Mason says, "I think a lot of the criticism has to do with the combination of sex and cheese.  But the breast is there to make food."  Since her husband’s creation of breast milk cheese Mason has been urging him to try making a gelato before she finishes breast feeding their infant. 

Chef Daniel Angerer decided to turn his wife’s milk into cheese when they had too much of it in the freezer.  After realizing the cheese actually tasted good, Angerer posted the recipe he calls, "My Spouse’s Mommy’s Milk Cheese" to his blog.  The response surprised the chef as customers of his restaurant begged him to add the appetizer to his menu (though he admits some of his customers are grossed out by the addition.)

Though there are currently no laws against serving human breast milk at restaurants, Chef Angerer has received warnings from the New York City Health Department.  A Health Department spokeswoman recently told the New York Post, "The restaurant knows that cheese made from breast milk is not for public consumption, whether it is sold or given away."

What do you think of Chef Angerer’s breast milk cheese dish?

Is this something you would ever consider ordering at a restaurant?  If not, why do you think it is so different from drinking cow’s or goat’s milk?

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BilWilkins by BilWilkins | NY, NY
Apr 20, 2023

How can I effectively incorporate mindful eating techniques into my daily meals and snacks? With the increasing pace of modern life, how can we successfully integrate mindful eating practices into our daily routines to enhance the sensory experience of meals and foster healthier eating habits?

marip1 by marip1 | RACINE, WI
Oct 29, 2010

I could never try it. How gross. Even if it was my own milk, I don't think I could do it.

Andielovesyou9 by Andielovesyou9 | El Paso, TX
Aug 01, 2010

I'm not sure why I think it's disgusting compared goat or cows milk or even my own but I would not order that. Maybe I would try it if it were my own haha.

izzypup by izzypup | Lake city, TN
May 27, 2010

It is disgusting! I would never try it!

redneckmom5323 by redneckmom5323 | Newcomerstown, OH
May 25, 2010

wow who would have ever thought of something like this....this is nasty!

mommaduck by mommaduck | SAINT CHARLES, MO
May 20, 2010

i think i just threw up a little. yuck that is to much. mothers milk is for babies and let it stay that way.. disgusting. i think if someone did that to me, having me sample that cheese and tell me it was mothers milk i would have punched them in the face.

QueenOfPlastic by QueenOfPlastic | Pipersville, PA
Apr 30, 2010

Worse yet, what if that milk is your mom-in-laws or your bff? Yuck! That's being way to close for comfort to my friends & family. I'll pass on trying this one.

Orchid25 by Orchid25 | RINGGOLD, GA
Apr 27, 2010

I would never eat it nor buy it for any of my family, it's gross. I believe in breast feeding your baby, it's the best for them, but making cheese is too far. And you never know who your getting the milk from... what the mother ingests goes right into the milk. What if they were a druggy?

Purplemommi by Purplemommi | MECHANICSVLLE, VA
Apr 24, 2010

Even though I breastfeed, I ashamed to admit that my initial reaction is to get grossed out by the idea of consuming other women's milk. It's really because it's not culturally accepted. Even breastfeeding in this country isn't held in high enough esteem. I am a strong supporter of public breastfeeding and breastfeeding in general. It's a wonderful, natural, purposeful thing! If you break it down, drinking the "breast milk" of an animal is much stranger than drinking milk intended for humans. It's seen as "gross" by uniformed and sadly ignorant Americans. It's another thing the people of this country has skewed and desecrated in the public eye. I think if breastmilk went through the same sterilizing and processing as cow's milk, then it should be allowed to be served and consumed. I say we need to start re-programming the American mind.

groovitha by groovitha | Mount Jewett, PA
Apr 24, 2010

I'm not saying that it's gross, but the milk would have to be monitored carefully. What if a mother who gave the milk was taking some sort of medication? We know (or at least all breast-feeding mother's know) that whatever you consume will end up in your milk. Cows, goats, etc. are fed grains by the farmers and then go out to pasture. If a cow is on antibiotics or other medication, she's milked separately from the rest and her milk is disposed of. (yes, i helped out on a dairy farm) And while I was at the NICU after my son was born, one of the infants was given the wrong expressed milk and then had to be on antibiotics just in case the other mother had something that could be passed on. Now i'm a big advocate for breastfeeding your own baby if you're able, but i'm not sure that I would want somebody else's milk by-product.

smiddlemore by smiddlemore | POST FALLS, ID
Apr 19, 2010

I agree with Devon206 Let people make their own choices. My husband thinks escargot is disgusting but I love it. My Mother in Law wont step foot in a japanese shushi bar because the thought or raw fish makes her yack. My best friend wont eat jams and jeyys cause she thinks its wrong to cook fruit. We all have our unique likes and dislikes and the world keeps turning.

ddavidso by ddavidso | elkton, MD
Apr 15, 2010

I think is horrifying and demand is led by men who weren't breastfed :)

gspencer by gspencer | San Ramon, CA
Apr 14, 2010

I don't think the idea is repulsive. When you're surrounded my breast milk 24-7 and it's filling up your fridge/freezer for a year (or more), you get used to it everywhere. I think socially it's not accepted, but neither is some of the stuff I see on Iron Chef either (think raw Tuna ice cream). Culinary Chefs at their own restaurants have a been of leeway in what they serve... as long as it's "safe". I guess that would be the real issue. I doubt his wife's milk is unsafe, but it's possible to transfer certain things that you wouldn't want to eat... and of course there is no way to test or any standards to go by, so it's a "all up in the air" kind of thing. Anyways, I doubt Chef Angerer will continue making that cheese, as his infant won't be an infant forever and his wife will stop lactating.

bltsandwich17 by bltsandwich17 | hillsboro, OH
Apr 14, 2010

Of course there are people who would like it, you can find people who would like anything you come up with in this world.That doesn't mean using breastmilk to create cheese is actually a good idea. I find it disgusting.Breastmilk should be given to babies not adults.

cybrown551 by cybrown551 | HOOKSETT, NH
Apr 12, 2010

That just seems a bit weird. However it will bring the price of cheese down if this idea ever becomes more marketable. The sounds of breast milk cheese just doesn't seem appetizing to me. I don't know if I were ever get used to this idea if it does become marketable. This is something that will have to grow on me for sure.