Emily Chan
The L. kefiranofaciens grains were also closely related to similar grains originating from Tibet, challenging a long-held belief that kefir first came from the Caucasus Mountains region.
The researchers were able to evaluate the evolution of probiotic bacteria over the past 3,600 years by sequencing the bacterial genes.
“Our observation suggests kefir culture has been maintained in northwestern China’s Xinjiang region since the Bronze Age,” Fu said.
“[We can] observe how a bacterium evolved over the past 3,000 years. Moreover, by examining dairy products, we’ve gained a clearer picture of ancient human life and their interactions with the world.”
It is still unclear why the mummies had cheese smeared on them in the first place, but the discovery gave us a glimpse into ancient cheesemaking, which serves as the foundation of the human diet and lifestyle today.
