Kefir - What On Earth Is It?
I’ve wondered for a long time about kefir. What on earth is it? Where can I buy it? Should I consume it? Does it taste nice? Why would I want to consume it? Perhaps the biggest question for me is ‘what is it’? Apparently its really good for you. It has heaps of amazing properties that are great for health and all that - but for goodness sake will someone please tell me in DETAIL what it is!
After a long time of wondering and a fair bit of research, I’ve realised that Kefir is a grain. When I say grain, it isn’t in the same family as say, wheat or barley. This grain is really a bacteria and yeast combination - a culture, or symbiotic microorganisms. The result is very similar to yoghurt - and apparently tastes much the same. Kefir grains (looks like cauliflower florets) are placed into cows milk and left to ferment for 12-24 hours. So it essentially is very similar to yoghurt in that respect!
Kefir is said to have been a gift from Mohammed, but legend also has it that people in the Caucasus mountains discovered that milk carried in leather pouches (think goat’s stomach) fermenting into a nice tasting drink. They are legends, and really, the origin doesn’t matter! What matters is that we have it today and it is apparently a nutritious drink.
What is it good for? There is a whole list of advantages: It is good for digestive troubles, it is good for the lactose intolerant, as it turns lactose into lactic acid. It is high in calcium, B-vitamins, amino acids and folic acid. It is ok for babies to consume. It is good for intestinal recovery after surgery or antibiotics. It cleans the intestines. It is anti-carcinogenic. It helps repair the immune system. There are a whole host of other benefits, but perhaps the most interesting is that Kefir has been credited with the longevity of the people in the Caucasian mountains.
What does it taste like? Well I don’t personally know, but apparently it is very similar to drinking yoghurt. It can be a little more sour and perhaps more fermented, but many people like to flavor it with sugar. I wouldn’t personally, so another idea is to mix in berries or other fruit.
Do an internet search to find out where to source Kefir in your area. I’m a little reluctant to try it because I don’t want to do it wrong or poison myself! But I’m sure if instructions are read carefully and carried out accurately the result will be perfect. Hang, if they used to make it in goat’s stomachs and lived to tell the tale, what do I have to worry about in this ‘clean’ day and age?!
Tags: bacteria, health benefits, yoghurt
I really love the taste of keffir. Imagine yogurt but with sort of the smell of rising bread mixed in (a bit yeasty) and it is tangy and sort of a bit “fizzy” like it is carbonated. The stuff I’ve had is thin like a beverage. Be careful it is sort of addictive.
Kefir is similar to yogurt but has much more beneficial bacteria and beneficial yeast that fights against bad yeast in your body. The fizz comes from the live culture. Kefir has 7 - 10 cultures added and yogurt usually only has 2-3. Kefir will actually colonize in your intestinal system. I like to refer to it as the champagne of dairy. You can find kefir in most of your natural food stores and Whole Foods Market now carries the first Goat Kefir in the nation. Here is a good bit of information from the markets leading kefir producer http://www.lifeway.net/research.php
Enjoy!
Mag