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Kefir
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kefir was made in skin bags that were Various Russian commercial kefirs
knocked by anyone passing through the doorway to help keep the milk and kefir grains well
citation needed
mixed[ ]. Dairy-free alternatives are available, such as coconut milk kefir and soy milk
kefir.
citation needed
Marco Polo mentions kefir in recounting his travels.[ ]
Contents [hide]
● 1 Overview
● 2 Production
● 3 Health and
nutrition
● 4 Consumption
● 5 Different milk
types
● 6 Culinary uses
● 7 See also
● 8 References
● 9 Further reading
● 10 External links
Overview [edit]
Kefir grains are a combination of bacteria and yeasts in a matrix of proteins, lipids, and sugars. This
symbiotic matrix forms "grains" that resemble cauliflower. Many different bacteria and yeasts are
found in the kefir grains, which are a complex and highly variable community of micro-organisms.
lactose yields a sour, carbonated, slightly alcoholic beverage, with a consistency similar to thin
[1]
yoghurt. Kefir fermented by small-scale dairies early in the 20th century achieved alcohol levels
between 1 and 2 percent, but kefir made commercially with modern methods of production has less
[2]
than 1% alcohol, possibly due to reduced fermentation time.
Variations that thrive in various other liquids exist. They may vary markedly from kefir in both
appearance and microbial composition. Water kefir (or kefir d'acqua) is grown in water with sugar
(sometimes with added dry fruit such as figs, and lemon juice) for a day or more at room
temperature.
Production [edit]
during fermentation, and additional grains are produced. Kefir grains can be bought or donated by
other growers. Kefir grains appear white to yellow and are usually the size of a walnut, but may be
[3]
Kefir has antimutagenic and antioxidant properties, as shown in two different model systems.
One can change the nutrient content by simply fermenting for shorter or longer periods. Both stages
have different health benefits. For instance, kefir over-ripened (which increases the sour taste)
[4]
significantly increases folic acid content. The title of one study (funded by Lifeway Foods) claims
[5]
that kefir also aids in lactose digestion as a catalyst. However, the study only shows that there is
simply a lower amount of lactose in kefir than in whole milk. The lactose still had an effect on the
lactose-intolerant adults involved in the study. The kefiran in kefir has been shown to suppress an
[6]
increase in blood pressure and reduce serum cholesterol levels in rats.
Consumption [edit]
Some find kefir too sour on its own and prefer to add flavors or sweeteners. Frozen fruits can be
mixed with kefir in a blender to make a smoothie. Kefir is sold with different varieties of fruit and
flavors already added, both in the organic/ecologic and non-organic varieties. It is a breakfast, lunch
and dinner drink popular across all areas of Russia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine,
Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Poland, Norway, Sweden, Finland (especially with Russian and
Estonian minorities), Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania where it is known as an affordable health drink. It
is drunk the same way as milk, often accompanying pastries and other sweets. In Serbia kefir is
consumed at any time of the day, especially with zelnik (zeljanica:Serbian), burek and banitsa
citation needed
(gibanica:Serbian), as well as in cold summer soups[ ]). Kefir, known as "yogurt de
pajaritos" (bird's yoghurt), is also commonly consumed in Chile, where it may have been introduced
by any of the various waves of migrants from the former Ottoman empire and migrants from Eastern
[7]
Europe. The health benefits of kefir have recently made it more popular in the U.S. It can be
found at Trader Joe's & Whole Foods grocery stores, as well as at Green's Organic and Natural
[8]
Market in British Columbia, Canada.
used.
[9]
medium. Additionally, it has been shown that kefir grains will reproduce when fermenting soy milk,
[10]
although they will change in appearance and size due to the differing proteins available to them.
Kefir is one of the main ingredients in Lithuanian cold beet soup šaltibarš•iai (Polish chłodnik),
commonly known as cold borscht. Other variations of kefir soups and foods prepared with kefir are
popular across the former Soviet Union and Poland. Kefir may be used in lieu of milk on cereal or
granola.
● Buttermilk
● Doogh
● Filmjölk
● Kumis
● Lactobacillus acidophilus
● Lassi
● Matsoni
● Tibicos
● Viili
● Yoghurt
References [edit]
1. ^ Kowsikowski, F., and V. Mistry. 1997. Cheese and Fermented Milk Foods, 3rd ed, vol. I. F. V.
2. ^ Farnworth, Edward R. (2003). Handbook of Fermented Functional Foods. CRC. ISBN 0-8493-1372-
4.
3. ^ Liu, Je-Ruei; Chen, Ming-Ju; Lin, Chin-Win (2005). "Antimutagenic and Antioxidant Properties of
Milk-Kefir and Soymilk-Kefir". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 53 (7): 2467–2474.
4. ^ Kneifel, W; Mayer, HK (1991). "Vitamin profiles of kefirs made from milks of different species".
5. ^ Hertzler, Steven R.; Clancy, Shannon M. (May 2003). "Kefir improves lactose digestion and
tolerance in adults with lactose maldigestion". Journal of the American Dietetic Association (Elsevier,
exopolysaccharide (kefiran) on lipids, blood pressure, blood glucose, and constipation". BioFactors
7. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_Chile#cite_note-37
8. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ashley-koff/kombucha-and-kefirs-hype_b_519195.html
(T)". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (American Chemical Society) 52 (17): 5533–8.
10. ^ Abraham, Analía G.; de Antoni, Graciela L. (May 1999). "Characterization of kefir grains grown in
cows' milk and in soy milk". Journal of Dairy Research (Cambridge University Press) 66 (2): 327–333.
● Katz, Sandor Ellix (2003). Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture
● Finding kefir
● Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See
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