The first dairy cattle were brought to Hong Kong to provide milk for the British expatriate community in the nineteenth century. Western expatriates and tourists continued to consume most of the country's dairy products until the 1980s, when dairy consumption among the country's Chinese population began to rise. A growing interest in western food, a traditional appreciation of healthy eating and wider knowledge about the nutritional benefits of dairy products have encouraged more people to make dairy goods a regular part of their diet. While people of all ages drink fresh milk, consumption of products such as yogurt and ice cream by the Chinese community is a relatively new phenomenon. Apart from fresh milk and ice cream, consumption of dairy products is generally higher among educated young adults. They tend to prefer sweeter traditional Chinese food flavourings or ingredients in yogurt and dairy desserts than the more creamy toppings or sharper fruity flavours preferred in western countries.
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