Whole Milk
Fluid milk at its full fat level, about 3.25 percent butterfat. It is the standard milk of the dairy case, sold fresh and refrigerated.
Milk & Cream
Every fluid milk in every form, whole, reduced-fat, skim, flavored, A2, organic, and powdered, along with buttermilk and all creams. The complete collection is cataloged here.
2% Milk
Milk with the fat reduced to 2 percent. It pours thinner than whole milk but keeps much of its body, and it is the most widely sold milk in the United States.
1% Milk
Milk with the fat reduced to 1 percent. It is lighter than 2% in body and flavor while still tasting like milk rather than water.
Skim Milk
Milk with nearly all fat removed, under 0.5 percent. It is thin and pale, sometimes faintly blue from the lack of fat globules, and fortified with vitamin A.
Chocolate Milk
Milk flavored with cocoa and sweetener, usually made from whole or 2% milk. It ranges from lightly chocolaty drinking milk to thick, dessert-like versions.
Strawberry Milk
Milk flavored with strawberry syrup and sweetener, sold ready to drink, usually pink. It is typically made from whole or 2% milk.
A2 Milk
Milk from cows that produce only the A2 form of beta-casein protein, rather than the usual mix of A1 and A2. It is otherwise ordinary milk in fat and nutrition.
Organic Milk
Milk produced under certified organic standards for feed, pasture, and herd care. It is sold at every fat level and is often ultra-pasteurized for a longer shelf life.
Buttermilk
A thick, tangy cultured milk, traditionally the liquid left from butter churning and now made by culturing low-fat milk. It pours like thin cream and tastes mildly sour.
Half & Half
A blend of equal parts milk and cream, with butterfat between about 10.5 and 18 percent. It is the standard coffee lightener in the United States.
Heavy Cream
Cream with at least 36 percent butterfat. It whips into firm peaks and enriches sauces without breaking, the richest pourable cream in the dairy case.
Whipping Cream
Cream with about 30 to 36 percent butterfat, formulated to whip. It produces softer, lighter peaks than heavy cream and pours more easily.
Light Cream
Cream with about 18 to 30 percent butterfat, between half & half and whipping cream. It is a pouring cream for coffee and light sauces, and it does not whip.
Clotted Cream
A thick English cream made by slowly heating cream until it clots into a dense, golden-crusted layer. It has butterfat around 55 percent and a cooked, nutty flavor.
Double Cream
A rich British cream with at least 48 percent butterfat, thicker than American heavy cream. It pours like a sauce and whips almost instantly.
Evaporated Milk
Unsweetened milk concentrated by evaporating about 60 percent of its water, then canned and sterilized. It pours like light cream and tastes faintly cooked.
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Milk concentrated like evaporated milk but with sugar added, making a thick, sweet syrup. It is canned and shelf-stable until opened.
Powdered Milk
Milk dried to a powder, most often nonfat, sometimes whole. It reconstitutes with water and keeps for months in the pantry, the shelf-stable form of milk.
UHT Milk
Milk pasteurized at ultra-high temperature and packed aseptically, so it keeps unopened at room temperature for months. Once opened it is ordinary fresh milk.
Goat Milk
Milk from goats, naturally homogenized because its fat globules are small, with a tangy, slightly earthy flavor. It is made into cheese, yogurt, and drinking milk worldwide.
Sheep Milk
Milk from sheep, richer than cow or goat milk in fat, protein, and minerals. It is used mainly for cheese and yogurt rather than drinking.
Eggnog
A seasonal dairy drink of milk, cream, egg yolk, sugar, and spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon. It is sold fresh in cartons during the winter holidays.
Malted Milk
Milk flavored with malt powder, a blend of malted barley, wheat flour, and milk solids. As a product it is sold as a dry mix to stir into milk, and as the flavor of classic soda-fountain shakes.
Jersey Milk
Milk from Jersey cows, a Channel Islands breed, known for high butterfat and protein. It is sold as premium drinking milk and for butter and ice cream making.
Whey
The liquid left after milk curdles and the curds are removed in cheesemaking. It is thin, pale yellow-green, mildly sweet or tangy depending on the cheese it came from.