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Are all foods not functional? I hear you say. Of course, food has a general function to sustain us, but the term “functional food” has been coined to explain a food that provides more than simply nutrition, supplying extra physiological benefits to consumers.
Admittedly, functional foods are a new trend in the health food industry and we can expect lots of marketing about them in the coming years. However, while there will no doubt be exceptions, they are mostly positive additions to our lifestyles and have arisen due to a shift in our connection with our health and our dietary habits. Functional foods are minimally processed, if at all, and can be whole foods, fortified with vitamins and minerals, probiotics and fibre, enriched or enhanced, and can take the form of fruits and vegetables.
Kombucha, for example, is a fermented tea drink that has risen in popularity in the past few years in Ireland. It has also paved the way in the Irish market for fermented drinks, like kefir, which seems to be surpassing it now as its beneficial qualities are being discovered by many.
Kefir is nutrient dense and considered a rich source of calcium, protein and B-vitamins. As it’s a source of beneficial bacteria and yeast, it has microbes that produce bioactive compounds in our gut that help boost our immune system, improve digestion and lower cholesterol. The bacteria found in kefir are believed to protect against numerous infections, can lower blood pressure, promote bone health and reduce chronic inflammation that is associated with a lot of conditions such as irritable bowel disease.
What is kefir?
Originating in eastern Europe and southwest Asia, kefir is a fermented drink made from cultured grains. Kefir has been drunk in many countries for over 2,000 years and is a staple in many cultures around the world. “Kefir” comes from the Turkish word “keyif” which means to feel good.
It is made by adding kefir grains to milk or water. These aren’t the traditional grains, like cereals, but yeast and lactic acid bacteria grains that resemble a cauliflower in appearance. Over approximately 24 hours, the microorganisms in the kefir grains multiply and ferment the sugars, turning it into kefir. The grains are removed from the liquid and can be used again to make more. Kefir is the drink you produce; the grains are your starter culture.
The recommended daily serving for adults and teenagers is 100mls, under 12s 50mls, and under 2s 1-2 tablespoons. How you take it is up to you – if you buy a fruity water kefir or a milk kefir, you can enjoy it as a refreshing drink, or the milk kefir can be used in a smoothie or even added to your porridge.
Milk versus water kefir?
You can find two different types of kefir drinks. Milk kefir is a probiotic beverage made with milk (most on the market are made using cow’s milk, but goat can also be used). Milk kefir is probably the most common kefir drink. The bacteria within the kefir grains turn the lactose in the milk into lactic acid, so kefir tastes sour like a natural yoghurt. In fact, you can make kefir yoghurt by simply making it thicker. There are lots of Irish kefir yoghurts in supermarkets.
Water kefir is dairy-free and is also a probiotic beverage. It is a lighter drink than the milk kefir and is usually flavoured with fruit. Some water kefirs are slightly carbonated or fizzed from the fermentation process.
Traditional versus commercial kefir
Like a lot of foods on the market, there are traditional methods of making it and then commercially processed versions. Take sourdough bread – sourdough is made from a starter culture also and is a fermented bread that can take up to 48 hours to make and has great benefits for gut health. However, there are a lot of commercial versions available in supermarkets that haven’t been made in the traditional method with a live starter. There are many reasons for this, but mainly it is to speed up the breadmaking process. Unfortunately, health benefits are lost with this method. The same can be said for traditional versus commercially-made kefir and both versions are on the market.
“Traditional kefir is kefir made using live kefir grains as it was made all those thousands of years ago in the Caucasus mountains,” explains Mary-Thea Brosnan, the creator of Kerry Kefir. “Commercial manufacturing of kefir started on a large scale in the 30s in Russia using bacteria which have been extracted in a lab and then freeze-dried into a powder. However, kefir grains are extremely complex and ever-changing and have significant amounts of bacteria and yeast; this simply can’t be replicated to the same degree.”
Kefir grains can contain 40-60 different strains of beneficial bacteria and up to 10 different strains of beneficial yeast. Commercially-made kefirs usually contain between 9-12 strains of bacteria, and very little, if any, yeast strains. These bacteria and yeast strains are what makes kefir so beneficial to our gut health, as Mary Thea found out herself.
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“I was suffering with IBS throughout my teens and 20s,” she explains. “I was controlling my symptoms through my diet. Trying to do all the things that you’re told to do. I met a nutritionist who was advocating kefir so I said I’d give it a go. Within a week, it had completely transformed my digestive system. I was shocked. I told everyone about it.”
In 2017, after making this discovery and improving her own digestive health, Mary-Thea found herself asking the question: why is kefir not more well known? After talking to people about it, she discovered while some people knew about it, they had tried to make it at home and failed or given up. The products on the market at the time were made using freeze-dried powder. She decided to take matters into her own hands and started Kerry Kefir (retails between €10-11.50 per litre bottle - 10 servings), a milk kefir drink made from milk sourced from a local co-op.
BKultured Water Kefir, Cork
Created by serial food entrepreneur Niamh Hegarty, BKultured Water Kefir is produced on her family’s coastal tillage farm in Ballycroneen, East Cork. BKultured is a delicious fermented sparkling drink made with organic ingredients, natural flavours and live probiotics. There are two BKultured flavours; Jammin Ginger & Turmeric and Sassy Mixed Berry.
Niamh says, “I did a Ballymaloe Cookery School course, which taught a fermentation element and I was just so interested in it. I am interested in functional foods anyway and I adored the taste of water kefir. I have my own food trailer, Niamh’s Larder, and I started serving the water kefir through that. I became obsessed really. The gut health benefits alone are amazing as you are introducing a massive spectrum of bacteria to your microbiome. Knowing it’s good for you and it has a sweet taste, and it’s naturally carbonated – it’s amazing really.”
King of Kefir, Dublin
King of Kefir is Ireland’s and Europe’s first dedicated water kefir brewery using traditional water kefir grains since 2014. When Gerry Scullion was made redundant in 2012, it gave him an opportunity to pursue his interest in fermenting and brewing. He decided he’d like to develop healthy fermented non-alcoholic drinks. Gerry is interested in “a new drinking culture”, changing people’s views and offering them a tempting, healthy, soft-drink alternative, full of beneficial bacteria and yeast. He only uses organic ingredients for their drinks, which are very lightly sweetened using a tea infusion from stevia plant leaves. Each bottle takes 14 days to fizz up before it is ready to be enjoyed, as they carbonate through a natural process called bottle conditioning. There are four flavours: Chilli & Ginger, Lemongrass & Ginger, Cucumber, Mint & Thyme, Hopped Culture. kingofkefir.ie
Blakes Always Organic Kefir, Leitrim
A milk kefir made in The Food Hub in Drumshanbo, Blakes Always Organic Kefir is made from organic milk sourced locally from farms within the north-west of Ireland. Starting off making the kefir in 2016, they made batches of kefir in a small 20-litre bain marie, which they bottled and labelled by hand but production grew and they currently produce around 1,600 litres per week. Their production scale has grown continuously to cater for the increasing demand as the undisputed health benefits of milk kefir is the main driver of sales. Their kefir may be used in a fruit smoothie, in porridge or muesli and can also be used as a substitute to buttermilk in baking bread. blakesalwaysorganic.ie
My Goodness, Cork
My Goodness is a Cork City based food company. They have a permanent home in The English Market, where you’ll find them selling a wide choice of savoury dishes (both hot and cold), healthy treats, lots of ferments, and their hand-crafted probiotic drinks made from filtered rainwater.
Everything they do is vegan, always gluten free and never contains refined sugar. You can also find them at many of the local farmers markets, in local health food shops and popping up at some festivals around the country.
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