kefir

American  

[kuh-feer] / kəˈfɪər /

Middle Eastern Cooking.

1. a tart-tasting drink originally of the Caucasus, made from cow's or sometimes goat's milk to which the bacteria Streptococcus and Lactobacillus have been added.

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Etymology

Origin of kefir

First recorded in 1880–85; from Russian kefír, apparently from a Caucasian language; compare Ossetic kʾæpy, kʾæpu “kefir,” Mingrelian kipuri “milk curdled in an animal skin”

Example Sentences

For the first few days of the week she suggests I make a breakfast bowl of flax seeds, chia seeds, kefir, blueberries, kiwi or pomegranate.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026

The researchers found no association between dementia and consumption of low-fat cheese, low-fat cream, high- or low-fat milk, butter or fermented milk, which includes yogurt, kefir and buttermilk.

From Science Daily • Dec. 21, 2025

However, the state is urging consumers to avoid other raw milk products, including cheese and kefir, as well as raw milk pet food products, including “raw milk pet food topper” and “pet food kefir.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2024

Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, kefir and miso help replenish beneficial bacteria and restore gut balance.

From Salon • Oct. 29, 2024

Koumiss is made in Russia from mare's milk and has much the same composition as kefir.

From Outlines of dairy bacteriology A concise manual for the use of students in dairying by Hastings, Edwin George