Kefir grains
Japanese: ケフィア粒（ケフィアグレイン）
A symbiotic community of lactic acid bacteria and yeast bound in a matrix of proteins and polysaccharides. Added to milk to ferment kefir, appearing as white cauliflower-like masses used across many generations.
Kefir grains are small white clusters where lactic acid bacteria and yeast coexist within a matrix of polysaccharides and proteins. Resembling cauliflower, when added to milk they produce the fermented drink kefir in about 24 hours.
While yogurt is primarily a lactic acid fermentation, kefir is a collaboration between lactic acid bacteria and yeast. It contains trace amounts of alcohol and carbonation, giving it a distinctive freshness.
Kefir grains grow slightly with each fermentation and can be divided and shared with others. They are a living gift passed down for hundreds of years in the Caucasus region. Knowing the microbial world connects to understanding fermentation.