This is my entry for photo challenge "Same but Different", round #1 - Milk & Dairy Products
@hive-174812/same-but-different-round-1-milk-and-dairy-products
According to an ancient legend, when "Father Czech" led his people to this land, he dubbed it a "land of milk and honey". Does that still hold true?
These days, most milk is sold in supermarkets.
When I was young, around fifty years ago, I remember our town had a dairy shop – a small specialized store that sold only milk, cheeses, and yogurts. I even recall walking there with a milk can, where the saleswoman would pour milk for us using a measuring cup. And in one passageway, there was a milk bar where one could grab a glass of buttermilk or a milkshake.
I don't know about other cities (or other countries), but I haven't seen a dairy shop or milk bar like I remember in a very long time. Do they still exist?
As I mentioned, the vast majority of milk is sold in supermarkets. Of course, there are small shops and farmers' markets, but these are more of a niche option. Our town even had a milk vending machine, but it was shut down after about a year, likely because it wasn't profitable.
Almost all milk is sold in boxes or plastic bottles of 1 liter. Smaller packages are used for flavored milk, cream, or similar products. Packages larger than one liter aren't common here – which I think is a shame. When my sons were teenagers, larger sizes would have been helpful. Back then, we'd routinely buy two cartons with twelve milk boxes, and sometimes they'd disappear almost miraculously 😊
Red packaging is typical for whole milk (around 3.5% fat), while blue packaging indicates semi-skimmed milk (2% fat).
Is milk expensive here? From an average monthly salary, you can buy approximately 2000 liters of milk (cca 530 US gallons).
So, that's all I have to say about milk. Looking forward to the next round of #samebutdifferent.