KEFIR VS YOGURT

● The main difference between kefir and yogurt is the number of good bacteria. Kefir contains up to 32 different strains, whereas yogurt typically contains two or three – lactobacillus being the primary one. The more you can populate your gut with diversity – in this case, lots of different bacteria, rather than just a few, the better.

● The other distinguishing factor is the texture. Kefir is thinner and often referred to as ‘pouring yogurt’. Its increased bacteria population helps break down the lactose in the milk, making it more digestible but looser in texture.

● The other difference is how they’re made. For yogurt, milk is heated, cultures are added (either freeze-dried bacteria or a few spoons of live yogurt) and it’s then kept warm for 12-24 hrs to allow the bacteria to multiply and culture the milk. Kefir is made with curdlike grains (they look like cottage cheese) which are added to milk at room temperature for 24-48 hrs. They thicken the milk (but not as much as yogurt) and the result is a little tangier and sometimes mildly fizzy. It’s also worth noting that there are products labelled as ‘kefir yogurt’ which is something in between – it normally contains around 14 different types of gutfriendly bacteria and is thicker than kefir, but thinner than yogurt.

● You can source kefir grains online from happykombucha.co.uk. To make your own kefir, simply add 5g kefir grains to 250ml fresh, whole milk (preferably unhomogenised), cover with a cloth and let it ferment at room temperature for 24-48 hrs. Spoon the grains out to make another batch (or store in a jar in the fridge for up to 1 week).

Pour the brewed kefir into a bottle and chill for up to 2 weeks.