Kefir...yumm!

I have been enjoying drinking Kefir lately. In case you don't know what Kefir is, it's a cultured dairy drink, not as thick as yogurt and not as sweet as fruit yogurts or Danactive (I always dilute them with milk to cut on sugar, it's just too sweet for me). I knew Kefir from my childhood as it is Russian drink, but haven't had one in years. In our family we use probably a gallon of plain yogurt a week, our kids also like their rice and other grains to be served with a gallop of plain yogurt. As I was enjoying my kefir in pomegranate flavor (I like it even better than strawberry) I read the information on the bottle which I found interesting. Apparently Kefir originates from my very part of the world, from the Caucasus region of Russia.
On the bottle: Kefir History
Kefir is the cousin of yogurt and its roots can trace back more than 2000 years. Originating in the Caucasus Mountains of Europe where people live well past 100 years, the word kefir is thought to have been derived from the Turkish "keif" for "good feeling", probably due to the sense of well-being experienced after drinking it.
And here some more interesting info from Wikipedia: Kefir (alternately kefīrs, keefir, kephir, kewra, talai, mudu kekiya, milkkefir, búlgaros) is a fermented milk drink that originated in the Caucasus region. It is prepared by inoculating cow, goat, or sheep's milk with kefir grains. Traditional kefir was made in skin bags that were hung near a doorway; the bag would be knocked by anyone passing through the doorway to help keep the milk and kefir grains well mixed.
One can change the nutrient content by simply fermenting for shorter or longer periods. Both stages have different health benefits. For instance, kefir over-ripened (which increases the sour taste) significantly increases folic acid content. Kefir also aids in lactose digestion as a catalyst, making it more suitable than other dairy products for those who are lactose intolerant. The kefiran in kefir has been shown to suppress an increase in blood pressure and reduce serum cholesterol levels in rats.
It is a breakfast, lunch and dinner drink popular across all areas of the Russian Federation, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland (second largest producer after Russia), Norway, Sweden, Finland (especially Russian and Estonian minorities), Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania where it is known as an affordable health drink. In Southern Slavic countries kefir is consumed anytime in the day, especially with zelnik, burek and banitsa.
Horray for Kefir!