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El Kefir is one of the standard bearers of the revolution of the ‘superfoods’ that has occurred in recent years. However, beyond the Caucasus mountains, where it comes from, this fermented wine has been the object of a true cult for thousands of years.
From cow’s milk, from goat’s milk, from water and in a haute cuisine version. On Summum we talk about Kefir, the fashionable probiotic, and all its secrets.
Kefir and yogurt
Kefir is not a yogurt, although it is fermented milk. The difference is that, in the case of Kefir, a live fermented product must be added to the milk, the Kefir nodules or granules, which contain coagulated casein, yeasts and bacteria. The latter are responsible for two different types of fermentation, respectively alcoholic – something that gives this product a certain effervescence, which yogurt lacks – and dairy.
Moreover, Kefir nodules they feed on the sugar in milk, but do not mix with it, as happens with yogurt.
How to do it
We use the word Kefir to refer to both the nodules and the finished product. The nodules they resemble grains of rice, white in color and have a mild acid aroma. If they look gelatinous, yellowish and have an unpleasant odor, it is a sign that you should “Take care of them” more, that is, washing them and dipping them once more in fresh milk so that they can show off their good appearance again.
Each filtering bag nodules first they are mixed with the fresh milk in a half-filled jar, the initial proportion being that of a tablespoon in a quarter of a liter of milk. The two ingredients are allowed to act from one to three days at room temperature between 20º and 35º and in a preferably dark place. The liquid obtained is finally strained with a Chinese and the nodules are washed and ready to start again.
Why is it good for us?
Like other fermented foods, the benefits that Kefir can provide our body depend on its high probiotic value, which influences the balance of the intestinal flora and the strengthening of immune defenses, among other things.
Fermentation also acts positively against the compounds that hinder the digestion of certain ingredients, that is, it makes them more and better assimilable. In addition, it contains vitamins A, C and group B, iron, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus and a long etcetera. In the book ‘How kefir cures’, the expert in dietetics and natural nutrition Mercedes blasco unravel all the virtues and secrets of this valuable ingredient.
A gift from the gods
The fact that it is a food that provides health benefits is the reason why, when it comes to origin of Kefir, history mixes with legend.
We know that Kefir is a millennial ingredient, who was born among the Caucasus mountains. Its name in Turkish means nothing less than “blessing.” According to Sumerian legend, it was the gods themselves who honored Noerish (Noah) with a Kefir plant to compensate for not being able to give him immortality. Finally, according to Muslim culture, this food is a gift from the Prophet Muhammad for the populations faithful to Islam.
In other words, Kefir is a cult object in the Middle East, while its success in the West is relatively recent. You have to wait until the middle of the XNUMXth century for its “legend” begins to circulate also on this side of the world, in Spain until the 50s the last century. Since then, the fame of Kefir has grown and, above all, it has left the most restricted circles of natural medicine to become one more ingredient, although, yes, “divine”, of our diet.
Pastoret, a good idea
Catalan family business with more than twenty-five years of history, Pastor It is a seal under which we find some of the best dairy products on the Spanish market. Especially recommendable They are their natural yogurts and their Yogurt Caprices with combinations as suggestive as raspberry, lychee and rose petals or lemon and mint.
Pastoret is a good idea also in the case of Kefir, made with milk from cows that graze in freedom and with an artisanal process of slow fermentation. Perfect to eat with fruits and cereals or to finish dishes such as a Russian Borsch soup or a beet cream.
The one from Yaranza, with goat’s milk
For those who prefer goat milk, the alternative offers it Yaranza, a small company located in León that has been making this superfood for more than fifteen years.
They also have a line of Kefires cow’s milk, natural or with fruits (lemon, strawberries and blueberries). The goat It is prepared with both whole and skimmed milk, the milk is used without more, freshly milked and then it is subjected to an artisan production process that lasts 24 hours. The container is glass. Reconciling with nature.
Water, light and bio
El Kefir water or tibic – the name would derive from Tibet, his supposed place of birth – is a good option for those who want to do without milk without giving up the benefits that Kefir can provide. In the preparation, water, fruit, sugar, lemon and granules are used that are completely similar to those of milk kefir, but more transparent and gelatinous.
During the fermentation process, the granules feed on sugar, giving rise to a light drink, with a fizzy touch and, of course, good for your health. In Spain the brand Prokey elaborates four types of water kefir: the traditional one, made with date syrup, cane sugar and organic lemon concentrate, the mint and ginger syrup, the hibiscus and the coconut. They can be purchased in your online store or in natural food stores such as Kiki Market in Madrid.
Kefir for gourmets
La del Kéfir fashion it is not limited to the domestic sphere, quite the opposite. In recent times, chefs have experimented with it and taken advantage of it in their kitchens. The kitchen of TRANSPARENT PHONE CASE WITH DETACHABLE WOODEN BEADS STRAP , in Madrid, they have been studying fermented foods in depth for years and Kefir has become part of their gastronomic proposal for some time.
Another leading chef of the gourmet fermented, Rodrigo de la Calle, has made his own version of Apple Kefir in the restaurant The GreenHouse (which this May leaves Collado Mediano and reopens its doors in Madrid).
Strawberries from our orchard, apple and Kefir. Kefir, beetroot and pumpkin vinaigrette. Pickled beets, Kefir and black garlic. These are some of the dishes that are part of the menu of Peace Spoon, restaurant located in O Grove, Pontevedra, which, like the other two restaurants, bears a Michelin star. Versioning Kefir in the most gourmet way.
The frozen version, with lime
It is the most original ice cream format of those proposed by the Catalan company Sandro Desii dedicated, for no less than fifty years, to pasta and ice cream.
El Jar –This is called, in Italian– it is a 120 ml glass jar with a tight screw cap. In addition to mango, pistachio and yuzu (a Japanese citrus) and citronella, the brand markets with this beautiful packaging a Kefir and lime ice cream. For palates that are not afraid of sour flavors.
Kefir makes us more handsome
In the book ‘Kefir, a yogurt to rejuvenate’, Mercedes Blasco explains how this ingredient can do us good not only on the inside, but also on the outside. Moisturizing baths, masks for the skin, feet, hands, hair, cleansing and moisturizing milks …
Recipes in which Kefir is mixed with more natural ingredients. Only for addicts nutricosmetics.