ABSTRACT
Antonia Terpou and Ioanna Mantzourani
Chapter Authors:
Antonia Terpou (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9956-5727" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9956-5727)
Ioanna Mantzourani (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1532-1179" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1532-1179)
Abstract
Vinegars have been produced from various ingredients all over the world, traditionally fermented by acetic acid bacteria. The bacteria species highly determine the quality of the produced vinegar. In this chapter, an alternative approach for vinegar production is presented, introducing vinegars made with kefir species or kefir grains. Kefir is one of the oldest fermented milk beverages with unique flavor characteristics and has been known since antiquity to have many health benefits (probiotic). Kefir grains contain a complex mixture of lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria, yeasts, and other species, entrapped into a polysaccharide matrix (kefiran) and coexisting in perfect symbiosis. Vinegar can be successfully made from various alcoholic musts using kefir grains or pure kefir cultures, that contain various acetic acid producing bacteria, to produce novel, interesting vinegar products, with potential health promoting elements.
