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Stutenmilch St. Leonhardshof Kaese aus Stutenmilch-10

A drinking foal

Mare's milk from St. Leonhard's farm Food and drink are so much more than just visiting a restaurant or sampling products from that sector. Don't get me wrong, there's practically no other central focus in my life, but looking beyond the obvious within this spectrum is beneficial and brings exciting topics to the table. As a self-confessed cheese lover and relatively knowledgeable about it, I always keep my eyes and ears open when it comes to "new" things. Although, in this case, "new" isn't really the right word. I'm talking about mare's milk: its production, uses, and taste. Yes, that's right! Milk from female horses that nurse their foals for a specific period. After the foals have been primarily fed, the remaining milk is used for subsequent purposes.

In other words: For thousands of years, mare's milk has been used by the Greeks, Egyptians, Mongols, and Chinese as a common foodstuff and successful medicinal remedy. Here, it's primarily consumed either on its own or processed into dairy products, such as cheese. This raises many questions and perhaps a few doubts. That's why I packed my wellies and, together with my companion, drove to Grabenstätt, near Lake Chiemsee, to St. Leonhard's Farm. Hens, roosters, dogs, cats, and countless mares, foals, and stallions. Time for a look behind the scenes.

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Next to each mare stands the little foal.

St. Leonhards Hof and everything that goes with it

When we arrived at the idyllic farm of the incredibly welcoming Abfalter family – the owners and operators – I immediately felt at home. We quickly went into the stable to see the numerous mares and foals. Each mare has a foal, which is always kept right next to its mother. It immediately became clear – even to a non-farmer like myself – that a respectful approach to nature is a top priority on the farm and in the family business, founded in 1996. For example, the "simplicity of the products" has been a fundamental principle for the family from the very beginning.

Under the St. Leonhards umbrella, the Abfalter family is active in various sectors. These include the St. Leonhards Farm, the St. Leonhards Springs with their nine natural water sources, and their own organic dairy producing mare's and goat's milk products – all certified Bioland. St. Leonhards also successfully operates two hotels: the Bio Vitalhotel Falkenhof in Bad Füssing and the Hotel-Gasthof Mauthäusl in Schneizlreuth. The St. Leonhards Foundation and Academy complete the holistic concept centered around the theme of "natural health.".

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A mare is being milked.

Mare's milk – how does it work and what's behind it?

First and foremost: In the production of mare's milk, the highest priority is given to ensuring that the majority of the milk is available to the foals. For the first six weeks, the milk belongs exclusively to them, and even after that, they drink until they are full. The animal comes first, then the human. As a complete novice in this field, I also found it fascinating that before the milk is pumped, the foal always has to be brought to the mare to drink; otherwise, she won't give any of the milk. A mare without a foal simply doesn't "work" for producing mare's milk – quite apart from the fact that the mare only produces milk when she has a foal. The remaining mare's milk, which the foal gives up, is then pumped, bottled, frozen, and subsequently processed primarily into cheese specialties and fresh whey within the St. Georg natural cheese dairy. For this to work, the mare's milk must be frozen very soon after pumping. Packed in large boxes, they are then picked up by the cheese factory and made into cheese in combination with goat's milk.

My visit to the St. Georg natural cheese dairy

The mare's milk is processed in our own natural dairy using a combination of mare's and goat's milk (40%/60%). The company's philosophy is upheld in the dairy and in the production of the mare's milk products: to produce genuine food, not just filling meals, with respect for the raw materials, nature, and the animals. The various cheeses from our natural dairy contain mare's and goat's milk in the ideal ratio of 40:60 percent. By combining it with the casein-rich goat's milk, we can produce cheeses with a high mare's milk content – and thus, in the first place, the true essence of our cheeses.
Valuable whey is extracted, combining and enhancing the positive properties of both types of milk. The products are particularly suitable for health-conscious individuals and anyone who enjoys trying something special. Oh, and by the way, the mare's milk for the products of the St. Georg natural cheese dairy comes exclusively (!) from the animals on the farm I visited. Standing right there in the barn, it's even more impressive to bite into a finished cheese afterward. The goat's milk required for this usually has a more tart, aromatic flavor and comes from various organic farmers in the surrounding area. But of course, the effort is only worthwhile if it really tastes good. So, let's get to the meatballs, or rather, the cheese.

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The product range of the St. Georg natural cheese dairy

How does it taste? – Mare's milk and products put to the test

„"Dare to try something new!" I thought to myself, gratefully accepting the glass of freshly drawn mare's milk. It's definitely a bit more watery than cow's milk, and tastes—at least to my palate—milder, nutty, and slightly sweet compared to cow's milk. Mare's milk demonstrably activates your body's self-healing powers, strengthens the immune system thanks to its high content of immunoglobulins, glycoproteins, and vitamin C, and has an antibacterial effect. Furthermore, mare's milk is low in fat—in its fresh form, it contains just 11 T3T fat, which is also very rich in unsaturated fatty acids. Compared to cow's milk, it also has...Mare's milk contains significantly more high-quality protein (albumin/globulin) and no casein, which many people cannot tolerate (cow's milk allergy). Overall, mare's milk is therefore much easier for humans to digest. It is also very similar to human breast milk.

So, if the thought of drinking a glass of milk gives you nightmares – and there are quite a few people like that – you should try mare's milk, taste the cheese, and even sample the whey, because you won't "feel" like you're drinking "typical milk" at all, even though it technically is. Personally, I definitely think it's very different from cow's milk.

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New „experiments“ regarding the „utilization of mare’s milk“ are constantly taking place.

At the natural cheese dairy, I also had the opportunity to try the bottled whey (220 ml for €2.20), the cream cheese (in a 90-gram jar, plain or with herbs, €3.80 each), the soft cheese in oil – plain or with herbs – (in a 110-gram jar for €5), and the Camembert (130 grams for €5). My favorite, contrary to expectations, was the Camembert because it has a lovely firm texture and a very mild flavor. Camembert is often very creamy and crumbly. The mare's milk and goat's milk Camembert is more sliceable and – as I discovered – perfect for spreading on bread or simply enjoying as a snack. 🙂 After that, the cream cheese in the jar is definitely my top choice. I love cheese and am a self-confessed hard cheese fan – however, I'm particularly taken with this spreadable cream cheese – especially when combined with fig mustard and dark farmhouse bread. I almost never buy food preserved in oil, as it upsets my stomach, but even this soft cheese in a jar tastes special and different than expected – try it for yourself. There's also the Bioland-certified mare's milk powder in a 125-gram bag (for €33), which is made from 100% raw mare's milk, gently freeze-dried, and has a shelf life of at least one year.

The tour of the small cheese dairy was fantastic. I can easily believe that using mare's milk for their products required quite a bit of experimentation to achieve the desired quality of cheese. If you're ever in the area, be sure to ask beforehand if you can visit.

Conclusion

Anyone who's open-minded and enjoys cheese or milk should definitely explore this relatively new area. The history of mare's milk and its processing may stretch back thousands of years, but until now, I'd actually never considered tasting or buying milk or cheese made from mares. Goat's milk, sure, but mare's was new to me, and it was well worth it. The fact that the majority of the milk naturally goes to the foals was also important to me, so you can definitely enjoy the products from the St. Georg natural cheese dairy and the milk from St. Leonhards Hof with a clear conscience. I've included links to their website and online shop so you can learn more and try them out for yourselves.

+++ This article was created in cooperation with St. Leonhards Hof. Thank you! +++

Contact for inquiries

Mare's milk and mare's milk products
Website – St. Leonhards Hof
Website – St. Georg Natural Cheese Dairy (including online shop)
St. Leonhards Hof | Untereggerhausen 2, 83355 Grabenstätt
Contact via telephone: 08031-23005 15

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