Ahoy! Welcome aboard Noah's Ark! Preconceived ideas are common everywhere. However, upon closer examination, you will discover that even those about the same topic will vary with locality!
Take milk, for example. In western society cow's milk is what comes to mind, but in the middle east goat's milk is what goes on your cereal.
In fact (much to the astonishment we westerners feel) worldwide, goat's milk is consumed by more people than cow's milk!
While they are similar, they are also different. Following is a brief comparison of the two. Taste is a hard thing to describe. Some people prefer the taste of goat's milk, others the taste of cows' milk. Many say that goats' milk is slightly sweeter than cows' milk while others believe they have basically the same taste.
It is a fact that methods of processing, packaging, and pasteurization as well as the diet of the animal producing said milk can affect the taste of milk.
It takes the milk of approximately five to ten goats to equal the milk production of one cow.
The difference in consistency, however, is minor. The amounts of fat (aka "butterfat") in the two forms of milk are quite similar with cows' milk on average being slightly higher. Fat amount does vary with breed.
Jersey cow milk is higher in butterfat than Holstein cow milk, and Nubian goat milk is higher in butterfat than Alpine goat milk. (F.Y.I. - the above examples are on average, there are exceptions from time to time.)
The fat globules in goat's milk are much smaller than those in cow's milk resulting in the cream remaining suspended throughout the milk instead of rising to the top overnight as in cows' milk.
In addition goats' milk does not contain agglutinin, the compound in cows' milk that enables the fat globules to cluster together and rise to the top. People who keep goats and desire to make butter from their cream generally run the goats' milk through a cream separator. Actually, goats' milk is naturally homogenized!
Goats' milk contains less lactose (the sugar in milk) than cows' milk and is better tolerated by those with mild lactose intolerance.
No matter where you live remember that both forms of milk are nutritious and great sources of protein, vitamins, and minerals!
That is a preconceived idea that should be common to all!