Fresh milk for sale; Ljubljana, Slovenia
Got milk? In Slovenia they do, and it’s dispensed in a most unusual manner.
While on a walking tour of downtown Ljubljana, the picturesque capital city of Slovenia, I came across what our tour guide described simply as a “milk ATM.”
The picturesque city of Ljubljana, Slovenia
In Slovenian, it’s called a mlekomat. It’s a large vending machine that dispenses fresh milk from a nearby alpine dairy farm. The milk, which is non-homogenized and non-pasteurized, is guaranteed to be no more than 24 hours old. The contraption from which the milk is dispensed is disinfected after each use with a special UV antibacterial lamp.
You can buy the milk in various quantities and there are even plastic bottles for sale if you didn’t bring your own container.
There was a young lady on my tour from Singapore who told me she had tried the milk a day earlier and loved it. Slovenians seem to love it, too. The machines have been so popular, they can now be found throughout the country.
I confess that I didn’t try the milk. I’m not much of a milk drinker, anyway, and I was thirsty for a different type of beverage that is also quite popular and inexpensive in Eastern Europe – one made from hops and barley. And you don’t have to pay extra for the bottle.
Copyright © Dan Fellner 2013
