What is kefir?
- Tracy Yap S.L
- May 17, 2015
- 6 min read
Now, you must be wondering, "Heh, kee-whaaat? Ke-fir? Never heard of it before also!"
Yes, I'm not surprised if you had that reaction. Although kefir's existence can be traced all the way back to the 18th century, it is rather "new" to the tastebuds and knowledge of us here in South East Asia, especially in Malaysia. However, it's fame is slowly rising thanks to its repeated appearances in US-based health-food websites. I too first came to know about this through one of those website's article.
Kefir, pronounced the way it looks, is a type of fermented milk drink. It has a tangy, sometimes fizzy (depending on the hours of fermentation) taste and is of a thicker consistency than normal milk--somewhat the cross between a thick milkshake and drinkable yogurt. It's dubbed to be like yogurt, but better! If you're still having a puzzled look on your face, try imagining yogurt as the dude before Captain America became Captain America, and kefir as Captain America himself. Why and how so, you ask? I'll enlighten you below, just keep on reading... :)
Kefir is made with kefir "grains" which are a type of yeast/bacterial fermentation starter. Please DON'T freak out at the word "bacteria". It's the good kind of bacteria I am talking about: the ones that keep your guts healthy. The grains are added to any form of milk: optimally animal milk (cow, goat) but I've also read recipes that use nut milks like cashew or almond milk or even coconut and soy milk, though I've yet to test those out.
The kefir grains resemble a cauliflower floret as pictured below. The grains "feed on" the sugars (ie, lactose) of the milk during fermentation and that's why kefir is recommended for those who are lactose intolerant, as you still get all the benefit of milk but without the lactose, not to mention the added probiotic benefit too! So for those of you who are lactose intolerant or you get a little gassy from milk consumption (like I do), switch to kefir! When consumed regularly, kefir will do wonders for your digestive system.
We all know the health benefits of yogurt, but kefir is much better:-
1) It has at least three times the amount of probiotics culture than yogurt;
2) It contains several major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt;
3) It is suitable for those severely or slightly lactose intolerant;
4) Kefir has the ability to colonize the intestinal tract, something yogurt cannot do, which can help with food digestion hence keeping the colon environment healthy; and
5) It contains active bacterial yeasts which help eliminate destructive pathogenic yeasts (the kinds associated with e.coli and intestinal parasites).
Convinced yet?
When I first came to know about this wonderful drink two years back, of course I made a mad dash to the supermarket in search of it. But to my dismay, I couldn't find it anywhere. Undeterred, I continued my search at different supermarket chains, even trying at premium supermarkets which usually house imported goods that cannot be found at the usual local chains. But...NOPE, na-da... None of them sold kefir. So, I gave up and went on with my life. Like, what could I do right?
Fast forward two years and one day someone asked if I would like to try some fermented fruit drinks she made...with kefir grains! Needless to say, my eyes went huge and my heart literally skipped a beat. Could it be finally here on Malaysian grounds?
When she brought the drinks out, I was disappointed to see that they are not of the opaque, milky texture which kefir should look like. She then clarified that these were made with water kefir grains, not milk kefir grains. I didn't even know there were two kinds of kefir!
So I went home and did my research and found out that indeed, there are two strains of kefir grains. The water grains are fermented in a mixture of water and palm sugar and then fruits are added to the fermented mixture once the grains are strained out. The end product is a fizzy fruit punch that tastes like fruit wine --the drink is called "kombucha" instead. This sort of kefir is gaining momentum nowadays due to its endless flavour combination as you can infuse with any fruit or even vegetable you want!
But I've always had my eyes *stomach* set on milk kefir. I'm not so much of a fruit punch person; but I love dairy products (ohhh my, I'm in a love relationship with cheeses like Camembert and Brie). Sadly though, I think I may be slightly lactose intolerant as I do get a little gassy after consuming milk every time.
Long story short, I finally managed to obtain a tablespoon of milk kefir grains. I was giddy with happiness, it's crazy sometimes, how much certain foods excite me heheh... So I tried my first batch and honestly, it didn't taste THAT great when I first tasted it. It certainly is an acquired taste and it takes a little bit of time to get a liking towards, but I love it now. It took me a couple trials to figure out my optimum fermentation duration, which is about 16 hours (or 12 hours outside and 6 hours in the fridge). The taste and thickness of the kefir changes according to how long or short you ferment the milk. I find that it gets more fizzy when left longer, and I don't know about you but I don't quite enjoy fizzy milk or milk soda.
It's ridiculously simple to make your own kefir! You just need to buy the milk and put the grains into the milk, and the grains will do the rest of the work! Okay, you'll need to strain it thereafter too, but come on, don't be a lazy bat! Good health doesn't come on a silver platter :p
Go on, use the recipe below and try making your own today! Your tummy will thank you--I certainly feel the difference since I started taking it daily about two weeks back. Less bloat and flatulence...for the girls out there, this translates to a flatter belly btw ;) But a word of caution: in the first day or two after making this switch to kefir, you will feel rather gassy/bloated, but don't worry as this will stop once your gut gets use to the kefir and the kefir bacteria begin their colonization to make your digestive track healthier!
Ingredients & equipments needed:-
250 ml of fresh milk* to 1 tablespoon of milk kefir grains^
A glass jar**
Kitchen cloth
An elastic band
A mesh strainer**
Plastic or wooden spoon**
Method:-
Put milk into glass jar along with the milk kefir grains. Cover the jar with a kitchen cloth so that the grains can "breathe" and hold in place with a rubber band.
Leave jar in a cool corner of your kitchen or house away from sunlight for at least 12 hours (for the first time fermentation or to activate the grains which have been stored for a while in the fridge, leave it out for longer like 19-24 hours). If you see the kefir beginning to seperate into a white layer on top and clear liquid layer below, it's over-fermented. You can still stir and drink it, but it may be too fizzy/tangy for your liking.
When done, strain out the grains and store the strained kefir in a glass pitcher in fridge. You can also consume it immediately if you want to but cold kefir tastes better :) Repeat process with new batch of milk.
^Contact me if you are interested to purchase your own milk kefir grains to start your own kefir making journey!
*It is imperative to use only FRESH milk for kefir making. Absolutely NO UHT (ultra-homogenized and pasteurized) milk as this will eventually kill off the grains. How do you identify if it's UHT milk? It's usually printed on the milk carton, but one good rule of thumb is not to buy any milk that's not sitting in the fridge. The fresher the milk, the better. Here in Malaysia it's hard to find raw milk unless you live near a farm, so I use Dutch Lady's Fresh Milk as it says its only pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized). I've read that Village Grocer in Bangsar Village sells grass-fed milk (Bright Cow Fresh Jersey Milk - they do home deliveries too - click here for their website), which is the best kind of milk out there, but I've yet to get one. I'll post on that when I do.
**Kefir grains cannot come into contact with anything metal as it will react negatively with it! So please use only glass and non-metal equipments when dealing with kefir. I've read that stainless steel is fine but I don't want to take any chances. The only stainless steel equipment I use in the process is the spoon, for eating the kefir during breakfast :p
This kefir recipe is the base of many other delicious recipes! Experiment on your own and let me know how it goes.
Till next time, stay healthy, stay happy!
Deliciously,
Tracy =)
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