Question: are kefir and buttermilk different?
Answer: “Kefir tastes like buttermilk,” writes a reader. ... Kefir (kuh-FEAR, not KEE-fur) is fermented from whole milk using special kefir grains (more about them in a minute). Buttermilk, more formally called cultured buttermilk, is made by fermenting skim milk with lactic acid bacteria, Streptococcus lactis.