We all care about ourselves or at least we try. We pamper ourselves with creams, treatments and enjoy massages. And that’s all great! However, just as we take care of ourselves on the outside, it is important to nurture ourselves on the inside too, both with positive thoughts and with nutritious meals.
How to help strengthen your body’s immunity and at the same time enjoy delicious meals? Simple, with homemade kefir!
Kefir is a fermented milk beverage (fermentation of kefir grains in fresh milk). It has a yogurt-like taste but is incomparably richer in enzymes and good bacteria, i.e. probiotics. It is believed that the name kefir comes from the Turkish word “kef” which is still used in Middle Eastern languages and means “pleasure” or “good feeling”.
Although there are different teachings about kefir grains, there is no scientific evidence of where they came from.
There is a legend among the people living in the northern Caucasus that Mohammed gave kefir grains to Orthodox Christians and taught them how to make kefir. Kefir grains are called the Grains of the Prophet and the preparation of kefir was kept a secret as they believed that the grains would lose their power to make the kefir if it was discovered how they were used. Kefir grains were passed on through the generations, carefully guarded as part of the wealth of every family within a tribe.
During the Victorian era, news about the benefits of kefir and successful treatment of diseases such as tuberculosis, intestinal and stomach diseases rapidly spread and Russian doctors began to seriously study the characteristics and benefits of kefir and kefir grains.
Although the first studies on the benefits of kefir were published in the late 19th century, kefir is still impossible to make without the grains.
The Society of Russian Physicians was determined to obtain kefir grains for the purpose of making kefir for their patients and also for mass production. In order to get them, they requested assistance from the Blandov brothers, who owned and operated a large dairy in Moscow and tea factories in Kislovodsk.
What follows is like a chapter from a James Bond novel:
One of the brothers, Nikolai Blandov, sent Irina Sakharov, a young and beautiful employee, to try to charm Prince Bek-Mirza Barchorov in order to get the kefir grains. Although the Prince liked Irina, he refused to give her the grains. Irina realized that the mission for obtaining the kefir grains was doomed to failure and she decided to return home empty-handed. However, the lovestruck Prince had a different plan and decided to kidnap Irina in an attempt to marry her. Irina did not respond to the Prince’s proposal, and bought enough time for her employers, the Blandov brothers, to organize a rescue mission from a forced marriage.
As this story has a happy end, Irina was rescued and the Prince was brought before the court of Emperor Nicholas II where he was ordered to give Irina 5 kilos of kefir grains as recompense for the kidnapping and violation of her honour.
The priceless kefir grains were brought to the Moscow dairy plant, and the first kefir bottles ever produced commercially were sold in Moscow in September 1908. However, it was only in the 1930s that mass production of kefir began.
Scientists who studied kefir and kefir grains found no bad bacteria in them. Even when they infected kefir grains with Escherichia coli bacteria, kefir grains destroyed bacteria with probiotics. They concluded that pathogenic organisms could not exist with kefir.
In addition to being beneficial to our health, homemade kefir can be used in meals.
You can find some of these delicious recipes on this page, and new recipes are coming soon 🙂
Caring for one’s health has never been simpler (and more delicious)…with a glass of homemade kefir!
Sources:
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