Everything You Need To Know About Potato Milk

There are so many reasons one might choose an alternative to traditional cow's milk. For instance, many food specialists around the world agree that food allergies and intolerances are on the rise, though no one can quite say why (via BBC). Among the most common food allergies are an allergy to cow's milk, and this is in addition to the huge swaths of certain populations — such as African, Asian, Hispanic, and Native American/First Nations — who are already prone to lactose intolerance.

The more environmentally conscious consumers may also point to the negative effects that dairy farms can have on our air and water supplies. Despite efforts by farmers to minimize their impacts, dairy cows remain one of the largest sources of pollution.

With this in mind, it is a good thing that there are so many plant-based milk alternatives available. Your choice may depend on dietary requirements or just personal taste preferences, but soy milk, coconut milk, rice milk, hemp milk, oat milk, and milk made from just about any nut you can imagine, are also commercially available in most grocery stores and coffee shops.

But, you may be asking yourself, potato milk? How do you milk a potato? And how well does that stack up against these already tried and true milk alternatives? The answer is, in short, surprisingly well. But don't just take our word for it. Read on to join us in the weeds of what makes potato milk a pretty great plant-based milk alternative.

The first question in everyone's mind is probably, "What the heck does potato milk taste like?" We can answer with confidence that the flavor is nothing like drinking liquid French fries. Like its plant-based milk siblings, potato milk has a pretty mild flavor, which is a lot of what makes it an appropriate milk substitute.

Dug inventor Eva Tornberg described her product as "unusually neutral" in taste (via YouTube). She went on to say, "The reason why we have strived to achieve a neutral taste is so that we can use it in as many foods as possible."

Huffington Post UK staff members decided to give Dug a try, and everyone had their own opinion on the flavor. One reporter said, "I would buy this over regular milk." Another stated that Dug is a "crime against potatoes." However, almost everyone agreed it was surprisingly salty, which some liked and others less so. One added that they detected a "floury aftertaste."

Dug comes in three different varieties, original, unsweetened, and barista, so there is some room for personal preference in both texture and flavor. It might not be to everyone's tastes, but it is worth a try if you're looking for a new cow's milk alternative. 

If you live in the United States, making potato milk yourself may be your only option, at least for now. Currently, Dug has production bases in England and Germany, which means it is only available locally if you live in Europe. Dug is carried by several health food stores, including Whole Foods U.K., Navesu, Just Natural, Holland & Barrett, the Vegan Kind supermarket, and Migros, the largest grocery chain in Switzerland. If you are planning a trip to Europe, it should be easy to find potato milk in grocery stores. Friends or family could also possibly be tapped to send you care packages if they live somewhere where potato milk is stocked.

However, many of these shops also have online stores that ship internationally, and it is also available via Amazon. Of course, these orders are subject to higher shipping rates and maybe even customs charges, depending on where you live. Using a forwarder is also a possibility if you're desperate to get your hands on some. 

So while it might not be impossible to purchase potato milk if you live in the U.S., it might just require more money and effort than many people are willing to put into it, particularly when there are so many other alternatives to cow's milk more readily available..

It would be irresponsible to leave readers with only a rose-colored view of these milk alternatives, and not address some of the health drawbacks. The fact is, not all kinds of milk will work for everyone — this is why milk alternatives exist in the first place. In addition to plant-based milk, there is also alternative animal milk, such as goat milk, sheep milk, and donkey milk – the latter has been used as an alternative or supplement to human milk for infants for millennia.

We have already mentioned how the potato milk you might make at home lacks some of the nutritional value that products like Dug add in, such as calcium, vitamin D, or even protein. Generally speaking, these are nutrients that can be difficult to obtain on a plant-based diet. While soy milk is pretty high in protein, most other dairy-free milk varieties simply can't compete with animal milk in that department.

It is also worth remembering, that Dug potato milk — despite its many benefits and added nutrients — is a highly processed food, which many people have opinions about. Science hasn't come down hard on either side of the processed food debate, and whether or not to include such products in one's diet is a very personal decision. If in any doubt, it would be worth speaking to a healthcare professional to decide if it is right for you. 

According to The International Year (Fun fact: 2008 was the International Year of the Potato), not only has the humble vegetable been feeding humans for over 8,000 years, it is capable of growing in harsh climates and requires less land than other staple crops. And unlike cereals (such as oats), potato plants are almost entirely edible.

Compared to other crops such as wheat and rice — both of which are used to make dairy-free milk — potato plants produce significantly more food per unit of water used to grow them (2,000 calories versus 5,600 calories respectively). This makes potatoes incredibly water-efficient.

As you might expect, Dug is very vocal about the sustainability and smaller carbon footprint of potato milk over dairy milk. It claims that "switching to a potato-based alternative reduces the climate impact by about 67%." It also states that potatoes require 96% less water to grow, compared to almonds — another popular crop used to make dairy-free milk. Almonds have been causing severe strain on California's water resources for years.

All of these together make potatoes sound like a great source for making dairy-free milk.

Even though we've established that you can use potato milk for pretty much anything, what good is a cow's milk alternative if you can't put it in your coffee? Thankfully, Veg of Lund has also thought of this and introduced Dug Barista, a special blend to add to your hot drinks. It is creamier than both the Original and Unsweetened varieties, making it better suited to add to coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. It can even be whipped and frothed to create that signature coffee shop foam. Dug Original has 1.5% fat content while the Barista has double that amount.

Faima Bakar, a reporter for Huffington Post U.K., tried Dug Barista in her coffee and said she was "pleasantly surprised." She added that "there's no weird aftertaste, which I find with certain plant-based alternatives." She then tried the Dug Unsweetened in her coffee, which she also enjoyed.

Veg of Lund has taken Dug on the road, making appearances and offering samples at multiple coffee festivals, including ones in Germany and Italy. They even showcased their product at the Anuga Food Fair in Köln, Germany, the largest food and beverage fair in the world.