Edible Ottawa

The Gentle Behemoths

• Photo by Chantelle Watt

• Highly intelligent beasts, water buffalo often create their own watering holes, digging alongside creeks and river beds and in fields to collect rain water. Bathing and hanging out in muddy water helps keep them cool and protects them from parasites and other pests.

• Martin Littkemann and Lori Smith, above, started Ontario's first water buffalo farm as a hobby, but their herd grew as they discovered their love of rearing the water-loving bovines.

• Erin Wilkinson serves a cone of buffalo-milk gelato in one of 18 flavours available at the Buff Stuff Store, located on the farm.

• People unable to tolerate the lactose in cow’s milk normally have no reaction to water buffalo milk, since enzymes break down the lactose to make it more digestible. The milk, porcelain white in colour, is silky and smooth, with a sweet almond aftertaste.