Kefir: the champagne of milks
Eat Well|Issue #28, 2020
Mingled among the clumpy kefir grains sits a plethora of beneficial bacteria and yeasts. We take a look at the magic of kefir.
Meg Thompson
Kefir: the champagne of milks

Kefir is an under-recognised and underrated fermented drink. It is made from small, gelatinous globs called grains. They look a bit like tiny, slimy cauliflower florets, clumped together waiting for a cheese sauce. Sounds appetising, doesn’t it? But, like everything, it’s what’s inside that counts.

Mingled among the clumpy grains is a plethora of beneficial bacteria and yeasts. Kefir involves a community of about 30 different types of microbes that live together in a symbiotic relationship, growing in number with each batch made. The lactobacillus species are the most prevalent bacteria present in kefir, accompanied by beneficial streptococcus strains, a number of beneficial yeasts, as well as acetobacter species. Other products formed during the fermentation process include lactic acid, acetic acid and pyruvic acid, as well as a number of other acids.

This story is from the Issue #28, 2020 edition of Eat Well.

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This story is from the Issue #28, 2020 edition of Eat Well.

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