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IELTS Reading Passage – The Magic of Kefir
The Magic of Kefir
Herders in Europe’s North Caucasus area were just attempting to get milk from one place to another by strapping leather pouches to the sides of donkeys when they made a groundbreaking discovery. Sometimes, a fermentation process would occur unintentionally during transport, and when the pouches were opened upon arrival, they no longer contained milk but rather a smelly, carbonated, low-alcohol fluid. This unexpected occurrence was really a gift in disguise. This new form of product, named after kefir. It leads to a nutritious tonic. It is considered a naturally preserved dairy product, and significant to our culinary repertoire.
We do know that yeast-based kefir grains have always been the source of the kefir phenomenon, despite the fact that their specific origin is uncertain. These grains are incapable of a surprising feat: contrary to the vast majority of products you may purchase in a grocery store, they really grow and multiply with usage. This is due to the fact that the grains, which feel gritty and have a little similarity to cauliflower rosettes, contain active cultures that feed on lactose when introduced to milk. So, for the majority of kefir drinkers, the issue is not where to get more kefir grains, but rather what to do with the grains they currently own!
Kefir’s production does not need a production line, which is a significant advantage. It is sufficient to combine grains with a batch of milk for ripening to begin. The mixture must be kept in a warm, dark environment with occasional stirring to avoid clumping (Caucasus inhabitants began storing the concoction in animal-skin satchels on the back of doors – Each time a person entered the room, the mixture was gently stirred). After about twenty-four hours, when the yeast cultures in the grains have proliferated and consumed the majority of the milk sugars, the final product is fit for human consumption.
A person’s first interaction with kefir is unparalleled. The smooth, consistent consistency of liquefied yoghurt that has been dissolved on the tongue. In addition to the intense, sour tanginess of unsweetened yoghurt, there is also a sense of effervescence, which most consumers have historically associated with mineral waters, soda, or beer. Depending on the kind of milk and ripening circumstances, kefir’s ethanol concentration may reach up to two or three percent, which is equivalent to a quality lager. Nevertheless, a normal day-old preparation would have between 0.8 and one percent ethanol. This may add a hint of alcohol to the texture of the kefir.
In addition to its traditional usage as a fermented milk beverage, kefir has developed a variety of different applications throughout the years. Several bakers use kefir for starter yeast in the manufacture of sourdough, and its tangy flavour also makes it a perfect buttermilk replacement in pancakes. Kefir complements sour cream as one of the primary components in cold beetroot soup and may be replaced for regular cow’s milk in granola and porridge. Protein drinks with kefir and yoghurt are a common technique for athletes to maintain the best digestive health.
Kefir, which has been associated for decades with images of Russian babushkas holding a blanket in one hand and a cup of kefir in the other, has become a minor star of the embryonic health food movement in contemporary Western culture. Every day, new research is published demonstrating the advantages of a diet rich in probiotics. This trend of eating probiotics has so absorbed the leisure classes in these nations that, according to some observers, it is ready to become “the new multivitamin.” In contemporary days, the term kefir is more likely to conjure up images of fashionable, yoga-mat-carrying ladies from Los Angeles than of bleak, windswept Eastern European settings.
Increased demand for kefir has prompted manufacturers to take shortcuts or change the manufacturing technique. Some home users avoid the ripening and acculturation procedure, although industrial sellers often add thickeners, stabilisers, and sweeteners. It is a very inexpensive and uncomplicated procedure, as is the case with any accidental innovation, at its healthiest and tastiest, that is the beauty of kefir though. A few grains, some milk, and some patience are all that are required. A return to traditional, unadulterated kefir production would be in everybody’s best interest.
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Questions 1-2
Choose TWO letters, A–E. Write the correct letters in your answer sheet.
Which TWO products are NOT mentioned as things which kefir can replace?
- Ordinary cow’s milk
- Buttermilk
- Sour cream
- Starter yeast
- Yoghurt
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Questions 3-6
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in your answer sheet.
3. What do kefir grains look like?
4. What must be placed when kefir is ripening?
5. What will the yeast cultures have consumed previous to the kefir’s readiness for consumption?
6. The texture of kefir in the mouth is similar to what?
Questions 7-13
Reading Passage has seven paragraphs, A–G. Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i–x, in your answer sheet.
List of Headings
I Old methods of transportation
ii Ways to improve taste
iii Getting back to basics
iv Variations in alcohol content
v A fortunate accident
vi Culinary applications
vii Making kefir
viii A unique sensory experience
ix Kefir gets an image makeover
x The gift that keeps on giving
7. Section A
8. Section B
9. Section C
10. Section D
11. Section E
12. Section F
13. Section G
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Recommended Questions:
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The Magic of kefir reading answers
1 and 2. C/E (in any order)
3. cauliflower rosettes
4. occasional stirring
5. milk sugars
6. liquefied yoghurt
7. v
8. x
9. vii
10. viii
11. vi
12. ix
13. iii
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