One of the most bizarre things that I saw in Spain when I first arrived was the milk. Yes, the milk. Milk in Spain is stored in the pantry, unrefrigerated for long periods of time, until open. Once open it is put in the fridge like I am used to. But during all that time unrefrigerated here, it doesn’t go bad. For 8 months I pondered how it could be so. Today, I found the answer. Milk in Spain, and much of Europe, is processed in a sterile environment and put through a UHT, Ultra High Temperature process to make it last for up to a few months. Wikipedia knows more: UHT. Maybe this will reach the States sometime, but it is going to take a while for people to get accustomed.