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Donkey milk is a rare food today – and it has a long and fascinating history. In antiquity, it was considered a valuable raw material and was highly prized in various cultures. This historical overview shows how donkey milk was used in the ancient world and what significance it had for the people of that time.
Donkey milk in ancient Egypt
Donkey milk was already known in ancient Egypt – as a food and as an ingredient in beauty care. According to tradition, the legendary Queen Cleopatra regularly bathed in donkey milk to keep her skin soft and well-cared for. Whether this is true to this extent cannot be reliably proven historically. However, the story shows how highly posterity regarded donkey milk as a symbol of luxury. Today, donkey milk is no longer a privilege of queens – it has remained a special food.
The role of donkey milk in ancient Rome
The Romans also valued donkey milk. Ancient writings record that it was used in many ways in Rome. Pliny the Elder, a Roman scholar, described numerous uses in his Naturalis Historia. From today's perspective, these are testimonies of the knowledge of that time – not proven effects. Donkey milk was also a popular beauty product: According to tradition, Roman women used it for a well-cared-for complexion. Poppaea Sabina, the wife of Emperor Nero, is said to have kept a large herd of donkeys for this purpose.
Donkey milk in ancient Greece
Donkey milk was also valued in ancient Greece. According to tradition, Hippocrates already mentioned donkey milk in his writings. What ideas the scholars of that time associated with it reflects the worldview of antiquity and cannot be transferred to today's nutritional science. For the Greeks, donkey milk was above all a valuable, non-everyday food.
Donkey milk in the ancient Orient
Donkey milk also played a role in the ancient Orient. In Persia and the adjacent regions, according to tradition, it was drunk and used in ointments and care preparations. Donkeys were important working and pack animals there, and their milk was considered precious – after all, a donkey gives only small quantities.
The significance of donkey milk in the ancient world
Donkey milk was a coveted commodity in the ancient world. It was considered a luxury product that was accessible primarily to the wealthy members of society. The reason also lies in the nature of the thing: A donkey gives about 1–2 liters of milk per day in addition to what its foal drinks. Large quantities were not possible then or now – more on this in our post Why donkey milk is so rare.
At DON DONKEY'S, we build on this long tradition: Our donkey milk is milked by hand on European farms, laboratory-tested in Germany and delivered frozen. How to thaw and use it, you will learn in our instructions for the use of donkey milk.
Discover the history of donkey milk and treat yourself to a piece of tradition – as a rare food with a history that dates back to antiquity.
