The first time you encounter the word *kefir*, it arrives like a whisper from another world—soft, slightly guttural, and impossible to pin down. You know it’s a food, something tangy and alive, but the moment you try to speak it aloud, doubt creeps in. Is it *KEE-fir*? *KEF-eer*? *Kay-FEER*? The hesitation isn’t just about vowels […]