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

It appears in milk and other dairy products when lactose breaks down under heat or enzymatic activity, including during the production of yogurt, cheese, and kefir.

From Science Daily • Jan. 13, 2026

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

I take one thing at the farmers market very seriously, which is the kefir yogurt.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 19, 2025

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

From Salon • Oct. 29, 2024

Instead of milk, buttermilk, sour milk, kefir, koumiss or yoghurt may be taken.

From Valere Aude Dare to Be Healthy, Or, The Light of Physical Regeneration by Dechmann, Louis