Documentary milks universal connections

Series traces the evolution of dairy and examines the way it bridges cultures around the world, Li Yingxue reports.

From frothy lattes to creamy cheeses, from the delicate folds of a milk fan, or rushan, thin sheet-like dairy product made from heated and stretched milk, to the silkiness of double-layered milk pudding from Shunde in Guangdong province, some of the world's favorite flavors trace back to one simple source: milk.

More than just an ingredient, milk weaves through cultures and traditions, linking the Maasai warriors of Africa, the wedding rituals of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region's Tajik residents, and the generations of people who have perfected the art of making dairy delicacies.

This cultural connection lies at the heart of the new documentary Milk: A Running River of Civilization, streaming on Tencent Video, which takes viewers on a journey across continents and centuries.