Kefir is a fermented milk drink and an organic health booster. Similar in taste to yoghurt, it has a thinner consistency and thus sold as a drink. It originated in the Caucasus mountains where people are known for their longevity and it is treated there as a heavenly gift.
These are some of the constituents of kefir that speak for themselves:
Micro-organisms: lactic acid bacteria, yeasts
Vitamins or pro-vitamins: vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin D, vitamin K2, folic acid
Minerals: calcium, iron, iodine
Health benefits of kefir are considered higher than that of yoghurt because kefir has much more microorganisms. Kefir is good for ingestion and is believed to reduce cholesterol and have an antioxidant effect.
Kefir is widely popular in Russia since Soviet times. It can be drank at breakfast, or mixed with cereal the night before so it gets into a porridge substance by morning. It is also used in cold summer soup Okroshka. Also, kefir is used for a thick kind of blini (pancakes).
Kefir is considered as a diet food and is often a used for a detox day. On this day kefir becomes the main food of the day’s diet with little amount of other healthy products – some nuts, vegetables or buckwheat.
If you find that kefir is a bit too tangy for your taste try drinking it with some sweeter fruit and you’ll soon grow into it.
It is a health fashion these days to make your own kefir from kefir grains. You can always find packed kefir in Russian shops.
Curd snack (Rus. “glazirovannyi syrok”, literally coated cheese) is a compact size dairy snack made of sweet pressed mass of curd or quark cheese and coated with chocolate or icing.
Curd snacks can have a filing of poppy seeds, condensed milk or jam.
This tiny treat is a great tea-time dessert. Even if you are not a fan of dairy products, you’re going to love this snack.
Curd snacks are popular in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia – this site has a loving collection of curd snacks brands.
Ayran is a refreshing fermented diary drink. This slightly fizzy sour drink made of yoghurt substance is a great thirst quencher.
It has made its way to Russia either from Turkic countries such as Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan or from the North Caucasus countries such as Armenia, where this drink is also very popular.
Ayran can give you an energy boost and revive you on a sweltering day. Try it and discover for yourself.
Vegetable squash pastes are very popular in Russia, their high-scale production in the USSR started in 1930s and nowadays jars of various vegetable “caviars” can be found in every Russian shop.
Zucchini caviar is perhaps the most popular one.
It is a blended mixture of baked or boiled zucchinis, tomatoes, carrots and onions.
Russian zucchini caviar (kabachkovaya ikra) is a low-calorie product (around 78 calories per 100 gram) and is full of goodness – vitamins B and C, carotene and dietary minerals.
This healthy product is also very tasty and can be eaten as a bread spread or served as a side dish.
Gluten-free buckwheat seeds is an amazing super healthy product. Not many garnishes can compare with buckwheat by its health benefits. Like quinoa, buckwheat belongs to the family of pseudocereals – because it looks like grain, but it is seeds. If you are aware of your diet and want a healthy side dish you should look carefully at white rice, couscous – not to mention fries – but buckwheat will give you a perfect side dish full of vitamins and nutrients.
There are some of the buckwheat superfood health benefits:
it’s gluten free
it helps maintain blood flow and thus is good for cardiovascular system
it is linked to lowering risk of developing high cholesterol and high blood pressure
it has antioxidant properties
it is low in calories (1 cup of cooked groats contains 155 calories – fat not added in cooking)
This is a diagram of nutrients in Buckwheat as given on the site www.whfoods.com The world’s healthiest foods
You can read more on the site The world’s healthiest food by following the link: Buckwheat.
HOW TO COOK
The healthy properties of Buckwheat are very well known in Russia and several meals feature this product.
Kasha is the most straightforward recipe and you can have it for breakfast, or use as a side dish.
You will need:
1/2 cups Buckwheat
1 cup water
Butter to taste
Salt
Method:
Rinse buckwheat thoroughly under running water and remove any debris or any black seeds
Add water and salt, and bring to boil leaving the lid slightly open
When the water starts boiling, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes
Switch off the heat, add and mix in some butter, cover with the lid and leave for 10 minutes
* In Russian this is called “grechka”, but in English it is also known as “kasha”.
* For bigger portions use the proportion: 1 part of buckwheat to 2 parts of water (i.e. for one cup of buckwheat use 2 cups of water etc.)
* Serving idea#1: With zucchini caviar, another healthy product, you double the taste and health benefits.
* Serving idea#2: You are a healthy eater who prefers having small regular snacks? Here’s a quick idea for you: Once kasha cools down you can mix it with cold milk to get a healthy buckwheat snack.
