Russian Made Easy Podcast Review: My Experience After Completing the Course

Russian Made Easy Podcast Review: My Experience After Completing the Course

I finished all 30 lessons of Russian Made Easy, which took me considerably longer than I expected.  I found the course through recommendations from other Russian learners, and after finishing it I thought it was worth writing down what I actually got from it.

This isn't a review from a language teacher or linguist, I'm simply an adult learner studying Russian in my spare time.  If you're looking for more Russian learning resources, I've also put together my guide to Russian learning resources, where I compare podcasts, textbooks, YouTube channels, and beginner-friendly courses that I've personally used.

Some of my Russian flash cards

Why I Started With Russian Made Easy Podcast

I originally began learning Russian because it is the language of my ancestors.  It is a part of my family history that was taken, and learning the language has become one way of reconnecting with that heritage.

Like many beginners, I quickly realised why Russian grammar has a reputation for being intimidating.  Cases, verb endings, and unfamiliar sounds can make it seem overwhelming.

Several experienced learners recommended the free Russian Made Easy podcast, so I decided to start there before buying any textbooks.  I'm very glad I did.

What Is Russian Made Easy Podcast?  A Free Russian Course for Beginners

Russian Made Easy podcast is a free audio course aimed at complete beginners.  It also has a media centre, which includes a bunch of free resources that I found made it easier to complete the course. 

Rather than asking you to memorise hundreds of vocabulary words immediately, it focuses on helping you recognise patterns within the language.  It introduces the idea that Russian grammar is often much more logical than it first appears.

How long does it take to complete Russian Made Easy Podcast?

This varies significantly by person.  You should take as long as you need.

I heard of some people completing the 30 lessons in 30 days.  That's great for them, but is far too fast for me - I would not learn or remember anything at that speed. 

I completed a lesson on average 2 or 3 times per week, and I redid each lesson as many times as I needed to until I knew all the words in that lesson and felt like I understood concept of the grammar.  Some lessons I only needed to do once or twice before moving on, while others took me several weeks to master.  

All in all, doing about 2 or 3 lessons per week, redoing lessons and not moving on before I felt like I had mastered each lesson, it took me about 9 or 10 months to complete the Russian Made Easy podcasts.  

Some of my Russian learning notes

Making the course easier to complete 

I found it helpful to make my own handwritten flash cards for new vocabulary and grammar patterns.  The course explains that the act of physically writing them out helps you recall what you learned.  I still go back through mine regularly.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.  If you buy through these links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. 

I use these index cards as they are the perfect size for me and generally a good price.  They're sturdy enough to survive being carried around in my pocket, and I've ended up with quite a stack after working through the course.  They also come in handy when learning new words and phrases from other sources.

I also kept a dedicated notebook beside me while listening.  Whenever the presenter explained a grammar pattern or introduced something that finally "clicked", I'd write it down in my own words.  Looking back through those notes has been useful when revising.

The lessons are easy to listen to while walking, driving, or doing jobs around the house.  Because each episode builds on the previous one, I'd recommend listening to them in order.  I also go over a lesson multiple times if needed, just so I remember it properly.

I usually listened to the lessons while walking or doing jobs around the house.  A good pair of noise-cancelling earbuds made it much easier to hear the pronunciation clearly, especially when I was somewhere noisy.  I've been using my Jabra noise cancelling earbuds for several years now and they've been excellent for language learning.

Jabra noise-cancelling earbuds 

Can You Become Fluent with Russian Made Easy Podcast?

No.  

By the end of the course I certainly wasn't fluent in Russian.  I couldn't hold conversations with native speakers, I couldn't watch Russian TV without subtitles, and I still had plenty to learn.  

What had changed was my confidence.  Before the podcast, Russian seemed almost impossible to understand.  After finishing it, I could recognise many of the patterns that previously seemed random.  Grammar no longer felt like an impossible collection of incomprehensible rules.  The podcast also prepared me extremely well for my next steps.

What I wish I did first 

While you certainly could complete this course without learning the Cyrillic alphabet, or ever writing anything, I highly recommend learning the alphabet first.

I hadn't planned on ever learning the alphabet because I wanted to learn how to speak, not how to write.  I completed around 4 episodes of RussianMadeEasy without knowing how to read any Russian at all, and things were progressing nicely.  

Learning the alphabet, however, was a game changer for me.  It took me under an hour, cost me nothing, dramatically increased how quickly I could pick up the language, and opened up a whole world of learning that had previously been out of my reach.  

I used some free resources to learn the alphabet.  I strongly recommend:

• https://www.russianforeveryone.com/RufeA/Lessons/Introduction/Alphabet/Alphabet.htm - a free online Cyrilic alphabet lesson.  It has some audio, which I needed.  I doubt I could learn the alphabet without hearing the sounds of each letter.  I used this and learned the alphabet in under an hour!  I could hardly believe how simple it was.

• https://russianaccelerator.com/read-russian.html - a free set of videos to learn Cyrillic in three hours.  These short videos are very comprehensive, I found them interesting, and they also teach a few words.  They helped me better understand the letters that don't make sounds.  These videos were made by the same company as Russian Made Easy.  I only did a few of them to compliment what I hadn't understood from the Russianforeveryone link.

The Perfect Follow-Up Resource

After completing the Russian Made Easy Podcast I started working through The New Penguin Russian Course.  This turned out to be an excellent combination for me.

The podcast gave me enough understanding of Russian grammar that the early chapters of the textbook felt much less intimidating. 

I'm currently working through the textbook at a fairly slow pace, usually one lesson every three or four days, and I honestly think I would have struggled much more and probably given up without first completing the podcast.  If you're thinking of buying a textbook after finishing Russian Made Easy Podcast, I would recommend starting with The New Penguin Russian Course.

Amazon affiliate link to The New Penguin Russian Course

My copy of The New Penguin Russian Course beside my notebook and headphones

What I Like About Russian Made Easy Podcast

1. It's Free

One of the biggest advantages is obvious.

The entire course costs nothing other than time and (for me, quite a lot of) effort.  That makes it one of the easiest ways to find out whether learning Russian is something you genuinely want to pursue.

2. It Makes Grammar Less Scary

Russian grammar has a reputation for being difficult.  Instead of overwhelming beginners with technical explanations, the podcast gradually introduces concepts in a way that feels manageable.  I found this much less intimidating than jumping straight into a traditional textbook.  You have to start somewhere, and I prefer starting with small, manageable steps.

3. The Lessons Are Easy to Listen To

Each lesson is about 20 minutes long, which I found to be a manageable length.  They also have a 'tip of the day' section to split up each lesson which helps you retain what you just learned. 

I often listened while gardening, walking, or doing chores.  Using noise-cancelling earbuds helped me concentrate on the lesson rather than background noise, and I found I noticed pronunciation much more easily. Amazon affiliate link to Jabra earbuds

4. It Builds Confidence

Perhaps the biggest benefit for me wasn't always about building vocabulary.  It was realising that Russian grammar actually follows logical patterns.  Understanding the basic patterns made it much easier to start using a proper textbook afterwards.

Screen shot of Russian Made Easy Podcast transcript - it describes things in easy to understand ways

Things I Didn't Like

Sadly, the Russian Made Easy podcast isn't perfect.

The biggest limitation is that the podcast isn't a complete Russian course.  Nor does it claim to be one.  By itself it won't teach you everything you need.  Eventually you'll need additional resources for reading, writing, grammar practice, listening to native speakers, and building vocabulary.

I also found myself wanting written notes to review between episodes.  Luckily the website had notes and a transcript of each episode in the online media center.  

Who Is Russian Made Easy Podcast Best For?

I think this course is excellent for:

• people like me who are too cheap to buy resources before they have some skills

• complete beginners

• people nervous about Russian grammar

• learners who prefer listening

If you already have an intermediate level of Russian, it could be still worth doing but you'll probably outgrow this fairly quickly.  You will also probably go through the course a lot faster than I did.

Who should not do Russian Made Easy Podcast?

I wouldn't recommend this as your only resource if:

• you already speak Russian comfortably
• you want grammar drills
• you prefer textbooks

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Russian Made Easy Podcast really free?

Yes.  At the time I completed it, the podcast was available free of charge.

Is it enough to become fluent?

No.  

After finishing the podcast I tried an online CEFR placement test and scored 12/50, well below A1 (which is the lowest recognised level).  That wasn't too surprising, it simply confirmed what the course promises.  It provides a foundation rather than complete language proficiency.

Russian Made Easy Podcast is an excellent introduction, but you'll eventually need additional resources if you want to read, write, and speak confidently.

What should I study after Russian Made Easy Podcast?

For me, The New Penguin Russian Course was the ideal next step.

I wrote a Review of The New Penguin Russian Course which goes into detail of my experience using that text book.  I honestly think it's great, but would probably not have been able to complete it without having completed and understood Russian Made Easy Podcast first.

It expands on many of the concepts introduced in the podcast while providing much more detailed grammar explanations and written exercises.

Amazon affiliate link to The New Penguin Russian Course

Can children use Russian Made Easy?

Yes, absolutely.  The lessons are easy enough for kids to understand.  This isn't a 'game' so may not be best for very young children or those with less motivation, but I found it fun and interesting.

Can I finish Russian Made Easy Podcast in a month?

There are 30 lessons, if you completed one each day you could complete it in a month.  I took a lot longer than a month, it took me somewhere around 9 or 10 months.

Do I need to learn Cyrillic first?

No.  It would be possible to complete without learning Cyrillic.  I completed a few episodes, and then learned Cyrillic, and I found that really helped my learning take off.  Learning Cyrillic took me under an hour, and took my kids under half an hour, and cost us nothing.  I highly recommend learning the Cyrillic alphabet. 

What equipment do I use while studying Russian?

Nothing particularly fancy.  I normally listen to Russian Made Easy Podcast using my phone and a pair of Jabra noise-cancelling earbuds, and I keep a notebook beside me to write down new words or grammar points.  I also followed recommendations of the course and bought some blank flash cards/index cards, which I found tremendously useful in helping me remember new words and short phrases.  I don't think expensive equipment is necessary, but I do find good earbuds make it easier to hear pronunciation clearly.

 Amazon affiliate link to Jabra earbuds

Is Russian Made Easy Podcast Worth It?

Absolutely.

If I were starting Russian again tomorrow, I'd begin with learning the Cyrillic alphabet, then I would complete Russian Made Easy Podcast.

It removed much of the fear I had about Russian grammar and gave me enough confidence to begin studying from a proper textbook.  It also explains in simple terms why/how grammar is used.  By providing the literal translation, it helped me understand why to use certain word endings, and then apply them to entirely different sentences.  

I still have a long way to go, but looking back I think it provided an excellent foundation.

Russian Made Easy vs The New Penguin Russian Course

This isn't really an "either/or" choice.

Having now completed Russian Made Easy and started working through The New Penguin Russian Course, I actually think they complement each other extremely well.

If I had started with the textbook alone, I suspect I would have found the early grammar much more intimidating. Although the book explains things clearly, it assumes you're ready to think about how Russian works rather than simply learning useful phrases.  Russian Made Easy gave me that foundation.

By the time I opened The New Penguin Russian Course, ideas like cases, word endings, and grammar patterns no longer seemed completely abstract.  I certainly didn't understand everything, but I wasn't starting from zero either.  The textbook then takes those ideas much further.  It explains the grammar in detail, gives plenty of exercises, and gradually builds reading and writing skills alongside vocabulary.

If someone asked me today where to begin, this would be my recommendation:

1. Learn the Cyrillic alphabet for free.

1. Complete the free Russian Made Easy podcast.

2. Work through The New Penguin Russian Course slowly.

3. Continue listening to Russian podcasts and watching beginner YouTube videos for extra listening practice.

That combination has worked far better for me than relying on any single resource.

For Australian readers: Amazon Australia affiliate link to The New Penguin Russian Course

For International readers: Amazon affiliate link to The New Penguin Russian Course

Russian Made Easy Podcast vs Duolingo

My kids have used Duolingo a bit for learning Russian.  I didn't think it was bad, but I also would not begin my learning journey with Duolingo.

I think Russian Made Easy explains grammar much better, while Duolingo gives more daily vocabulary practice.  If I had to choose one, I'd start with Russian Made Easy and then use Duolingo for extra practice.  

Summary of Russian Made Easy vs The New Penguin Russian Course

If you're wondering whether to start with Russian Made Easy or The New Penguin Russian Course, here's how I found they compare after completing the podcast and working through the first 12 lessons of the textbook. 

Feature	Russian Made Easy	The New Penguin Russian Course
Price	Free	Paid - textbook
Best for	Complete beginners	Long-term self-study
Listening practice	Excellent - voices from several native speakers	Not from a textbook
Grammar explanations	Gentle introduction so you understand when/why to use various parts of grammar	Detailed and comprehensive
Reading & writing	Very limited (yet highly encouraged)	Excellent
Vocabulary	Moderate	Extensive
Time required	30 audio lessons - about 20 mins each	500+ pages at your own pace
My recommendation	Start with Russian Made Easy, then move on to The New Penguin Russian Course.

More Russian Resources

If you're interested in learning Russian, or learning about Russian food or gardening, you might also enjoy:

• Complete Guide to Russian Learning Resources - free and low cost resources that I have used while learning Russian

• My Honest Review of The New Penguin Russian Course - I really like this book, I share why it helped and the downsides

• Making Tvorog at Home - how I make this simple fresh farmer's cheese, it's not the traditional method but it is super easy and it works

• Making Milk Kefir - Very simple instructions on how I have been making milk kefir since 2010

• The Weird History of Milk Kefir - this ancient Russian fermented milk has a long and fascinating history

• Russian Heirloom Tomatoes - some of the heirloom Russian tomato varieties that I grow

Growing Job's Tears (Coix lacryma-jobi): Harvesting Grain and Overwintering This Unusual Perennial Plant

Job's tears (Coix lacryma-jobi) is one of those unusual plants that seems almost too interesting to be real.  It produces edible grain, ornamental bead-like seeds, useful livestock fodder, and in warmer climates can behave as a perennial crop.  It is both practical and strangely beautiful, which is why I wanted to see whether it could survive the winters in my part of southern Australia.

Job's tears - various colour on same plant

Growing Job's Tears

I first grew job's tears almost 20 years ago.  Back then seeds were easy to find, and many online seed sellers carried packets of these seeds.  I bought some seeds back then, planted them in the vegetable garden, the plants grew and looked like cute tiny corn plants.  

My plants produced seed, but shortly afterwards we moved house and had a new baby, so the seeds were forgotten among all the chaos of that time. 

Job's tears seeds can be used like beads

Job's tears is perennial in tropical and subtropical climates, but is usually grown as an annual in cooler regions.  I was keen to see whether it could survive winter here, but we moved before I had the chance to find out.   

For some reason, finding seed for this has been really difficult lately.  Almost no one seems to be selling seeds of Job's tears at the moment, and the few places that do sell seed are expensive.  This made me especially keen to save seed from my own plant.  If it proves capable of surviving winter here, seed from plants grown under these conditions could be particularly interesting to keep and grow again.

Job's tears plant looks like tiny corn stalks

Job's tears beginning to tiller

In spring 2025 I got a small Job's tears plant.  As I only had one Job's tears plant, I put it in a pot in my greenhouse because I wanted to protect my only plant from out of season frost and give it the best chance of surviving while I learned how it behaved.  In hindsight, it may have grown better planted directly in the garden, although it still performed reasonably well in the greenhouse.  It went ok in the greenhouse, so I decided to leave it in the greenhouse, and see if it can overwinter there. 

Job's tears plants like water, so I put mulch over the soil surface.  This mulch was sawdust that came from the guinea pig house, this should add organic matter and nutrients as it breaks down.  I also put a bit of azolla under the mulch, this will break down quickly to fertilise the plant. 

It didn't take my Job's tears plant long to grow a thicker and taller stalk, then it started to tiller.  Tillering is where the plant produces additional stems from the base.  Each new tiller can produce its own flowers and seed heads, so a plant that begins as a single stem can eventually become a productive clump.  I was pleased to see this because each tiller can produce its own seed heads, making the plant far more productive.

Job's tears tillering early in the season

Same plant, more tillers later in the season

I hoped to be able to remove one of the tillers and grow it as a separate plant.  While this looks like it should be possible, I worry it would damage my one plant, so decided not to try this yet.  

Next year I will try to grow several plants from seed, perhaps I will try to divide some tillers then.  Or perhaps I will grow enough from seed that I won't need to bother dividing a tiller.  My plant has a few tillers now and I am still tempted to remove one and see how it goes, but am trying really hard to leave it for now. 

My plant grew tall, then in big wind it got some damage.  The plant fell over and looked like the stem may have been partially broken.  I stood it back up, tied one of the leaves to the bench of the greenhouse to stabilise it, and hoped for the best.  

Fortunately, the damage must not have been too severe because it continued growing normally.  Once it grew taller, it began to flower. 

Job's tears flowering

Job's tears starting to produce grain

Flowering and Producing Seed

Like most grasses, Job's tears flowers are not overly impressive.  These are wind pollinated, so they don't need to produce showy petals or nectar or perfume.

The plant produces separate male and female flowers on the same plant.  The male flowers form hanging clusters above, while each female flower develops inside the hard bead-like casing that gives the plant its name.

If you look closely you can see two stigma poking out the top of each bead.  These will collect pollen, which will fertilise the bead and produce a seed.  The seeds will then need to mature and ripen, then dry a little before being harvested.

It feels like it takes forever from flowering until beads are ripe, but that is probably just me being impatient and it only felt like a long wait because I was impatient to see the mature seeds.

Job's tears producing beads

At this early stage all the beads were still all green.  Once they mature a little they get some nice colouration.  

The colour of the beads varies on the same plant, and also changes a bit depending on how mature the seed is.  The same plant can produce beads that are almost white, almost black, almost entirely brown, or a mix of brown black and white.  

I don't understand the colour genetics of this plant as there is little published data.  Unlike corn, whose colour genetics are well studied, very little seems to have been published on the genetics of Job's tears seed colour.

Various coloured beads on the same plant

This first year my plant began flowering around 8 January 2026.  It may have been slightly earlier, but that was when I first noticed it.

First beads were ripe from 23 February 2026, with most of the beads not being ripe until months later.  They kept ripening up until the frosts.  

This was one of the things I hadn't appreciated before growing Job's tears: flowering does not mean the whole crop will be ready at once.  The plant can have green, developing and fully mature beads at the same time.

Seeds ripening

Harvesting Job's Tears

Because this was my first crop, I was learning as I went. 

I harvested the mature beads by hand as they became ready rather than waiting for the entire plant to finish.  I kept some aside specifically for planting, because producing my own seed was one of the main reasons I wanted to grow the plant again.  

Job's tears seeds different colours

Can Job's Tears Survive Winter?  My First Attempt

Over winter a lot of the top growth was damaged, I expected this.  We had a relatively mild winter, and so far my plant appears to be surviving the light frosts.  I have the plant under shelter, and have high hopes it should survive the winter. 

If it survives winter and regrows in spring, I'll update this article with the results.  I'm particularly interested to see whether an established perennial plant grows larger and produces more seed than a first-year plant.

Job's tears plant tillering over winter

Related Articles

I also grow a number of unusual and perennial food crops.  Here are some other plants I've experimented with:

• Perennial buckwheat - my experience growing this incredibly hardy and underutilised crop
• Perennial corn - my experience growing Zea diploperennis in Australia
• Perennial corn surviving a cold winter - my experience with overwintering and survival of perennial corn
• For sale catalogue - where you can buy Job's tears plants or seeds in season

Final thoughts

I'm glad I decided to grow Job's tears again after all these years.  It is an attractive plant, surprisingly easy to grow, and fascinating to watch from the first tillers through flowering and finally the development of its distinctive little beads.

This first season has answered some of my questions, particularly how long the grains take to mature and how a single plant develops from one stem into a much larger clump.  It has also raised another question: can this plant actually survive winter here and return strongly in spring?

I'm hoping to grow more plants from my saved seed next season and compare them with this original plant.  I'd also like to see whether an established plant produces more tillers and grain than a first-year plant.

For now, Job's tears has earned a permanent place on my list of unusual crops worth growing.

The Weird History of Milk Kefir: Ancient Myths, Scientific Mysteries, and the Woman Who Changed Kefir Forever

Depending on which website you read, milk kefir grains are said to have been either a gift from the Prophet Muhammad, food eaten by Abraham, impossible for scientists to recreate, or over 4,000 years old.  Surprisingly, much of this isn't supported by historical evidence.  The true story of kefir is even more fascinating and bizarre.  

Modern kefir has a surprisingly well-documented history dating to the North Caucasus and early twentieth-century Russia, while many of the much older stories are fascinating but poorly supported by historical evidence.  Some parts of kefir's history have been lost entirely.  Other parts can be pieced together from historical records, archaeology, and later evidence.  

In this article, I'll look at what archaeology, historical records, scientific research, and religious traditions actually tell us about kefir.  Some of the oldest and most often told stories that sound perfectly believable are surprisingly poorly supported, some of the newest discoveries are genuinely exciting, and one chapter in kefir's history is so bizarre it sounds like it was lifted straight from a fairy tale.  

Straining my milk kefir

The Extraordinary Story of How Kefir Reached Modern Russia

Evidence level: Strong

Remember the fairy tales/fables where something bad would happen, and everyone would lament if only someone could tell the Tsar then he would make everything alright?  Well, this is pretty much what happened with milk kefir.  

The first reliable references to kefir grains that can be traced to today come from Russia, and are surrounded by a true story that sounds like a fairy tale.  

Until the early 1900s, kefir wasn't produced in Central Russia, it was only occasionally brought from an area of the Caucasus in south west Russia, and sold in Moscow at a very high price.  Only the drink itself could be bought, and it was generally used as medicine.  At this time kefir was only for the rich, as common people could not afford the high price attached to this 'miracle drink'.

The first mention of Kefir in literature I can find is: 'Сиповичъ. Сообщеніе о кефирѣ въ протоколѣ засѣданія Кавказск. Мед. Общ. 1-го Іюля 1867 г'.  This roughly translates to: Sipovich. Report on kefir in the minutes of the meeting of the Caucasian Medical Society, July 1, 1867.  

Russian officials heard of the rumored health benefits of the nomadic Karachay people living around Mount Elbrus (in the Caucasus region), these stories combined with claims in the early literature mentioning the health benefits of kefir made it sound too good not to investigate further.  

Historical texts vary a bit here, most documents refer to milk kefir coming from the North Caucasus, and a number of references are made to Khurzuk and the Karachay communities near Mount Elbrus.  All of them agree on one point: the region where the earliest kefir history is documented was within Russia. 

To keep the people strong and healthy, the government wanted to obtain kefir grains and make kefir themselves.  Studies of the drink itself were always positive, but kefir can't be made without using grains.  To benefit the people and society as a whole, they hoped to make kefir themselves and eventually be able to make kefir available for average people.  

Around 1907 or 1908 the All Russian Physicians’ Society (the name of this society varies a bit, and may have been translated slightly wrong) requested Nikolay Ivanovich Balandov, who was head of the Moscow Dairy, to source milk kefir grains.  The story goes that Balandov tried to buy kefir grains, and was refused multiple times.  He knew his chances of getting anything were low, so he sent a woman named Irina Tikhonovna Sakharova.  

The idea was Irina would go with a team to the Caucasus, and she would charm a prince called Bek-Mirza Barcherov (I am not sure how to spell this name, or if he was even a 'prince', but he did rule over an aul) into giving her some kefir gains.  The prince was apparently quite taken by Irina, but there was strong tradition never to share kefir grains with outsiders, so he refused to give her any kefir grains.  Irina and her team eventually left to return home empty handed.  

On her way home, Irina and her companions were stopped by the prince's men, and Irina was kidnapped to become the prince's bride.  This 'kidnapping a bride' thing was common in that part of the world at the time.  

The rest of her party returned to Moscow, and petitioned the Tsar for Irina's release.  The Tsar intervened, ordered Irina's release, and demanded that she be offered adequate compensation.  This is where the story takes a twist.

Irina could have asked for money or gold, but instead asked for kefir grains.  Not wanting to contradict the Tsar and start a war, these demands were begrudgingly met.  As compensation for being kidnapped, Irina was given around 4.5 kg (10 pounds) of milk kefir grains.  

There is an alternate version of this story that is far less told, and far less romantic.  Shortly after arriving in Kislovodsk, Irina (accompanied by a factory manager) set out for a Karachay aul to visit 25 year old Prince Bek-Mirza Barcherov.  The prince supplied milk to the Balandov firm.  Barcherov was captivated by Irina’s beauty, and presented her with 10 pounds of kefir grains as a gift.  I don't know which version is true, but I can understand why this less incredible version would not be shared as widely across the internet.  

In both versions of this story, the milk kefir grains were then taken to the Moscow Dairy, and studied and multiplied and divided.  Production of milk kefir was ramped up rather quickly.  

The first milk kefir produced from these grains was given to patients at Botkin hospital.  Later it was sold through pharmacies as a health tonic.  

While kefir was intended to be made as a medicine, it was so simple to produce that it was then sold in shops and (after kefir grains found their way out of the dairy) started to be made in people's houses.  

By September 1908 the first bottles of milk kefir were sold in Moscow.  By the 1930s milk kefir was produced in large scale and was widely available across Russia.  

Modern Russia has significant historical ties to milk kefir

Kefir in archaeology

Evidence level: Moderate

Researchers recovered ancient proteins and microbial DNA consistent with kefir-like fermentation from ~4,000 year old tombs of Tarim mummies.  This has sparked many over-hyped and over-simplified reports of the Chinese making the world's oldest cheese.  

The Tarim mummies were discovered in the territory of the Uyghur Autonomous Region, this is located in present-day Western China.  The story gets more interesting, as while this is in current day China the mummies are not 'Chinese' in the true sense of the word.  It has been determined that the mummies had blonde hair, a genetic trait that is remarkably uncommon/absent among genetically Chinese people.  

While the tombs sit within the borders of modern day China, in times past various Siberian people and other groups also inhabited in that area.  While the ancient tombs are located within the boundary of present-day China, the people in these tombs were genetically South Siberians.  

Current evidence suggests that the Tarim mummies had eaten something similar to kefir ie it had kefir proteins.  We don't know if they had kefir.  We don't know if the kefir of today descended from what was being consumed by the Tarim mummies, or if it was lost and the grains we use to make kefir today emerged some time later in history.    

Religious references to kefir

Evidence level: Weak

Kefir and the Bible 

Milk kefir is old, it has been around for a long time, and we don't know for sure when or how it was created.  While there are a few claims on the internet about milk kefir and the Bible, and there is a vague claim about milk kefir coming from Mohammad, it is unlikely that any of these claims are true. 

Some people claim that kefir is mentioned in the bible.  Most of these claims are highly improbable, though not entirely impossible.  The bible repeatedly mentions eating 'curds' which may possibly be referring to kefir, but it probably just means they were eating curds.  

Abraham lived to around 175 years old, which was not overly uncommon for people of that time.  The internet has a few pages that claim scrolls in Turkey exist which attribute Abraham's longevity to consuming kefir.  I am not sure that these scrolls ever existed.  Other than a few internet sites (which reference nothing), I can find no mention of these scrolls.  From Genesis 18:8 we learn that Abraham consumed milk curd, and it is safe to assume he likely consumed various types of fermented milk.  While it is not impossible he had kefir, it is extremely unlikely the kefir of today is descended from those grains.  Without finding huge numbers of references in historical literature, as well as strong religious traditions mentioning kefir, it is more likely that if kefir existed in Abraham's time, it later died out, and was recreated at a later date.  

I have read internet claims that Noah received kefir grains from God to help him and his family survive on the ark.  I find this claim to be highly unlikely at best.  I am yet to find any source of this claim other than web pages that don't reference anything other than other web sites also making this claim.    

Moses lived until about the age of 120.  Around 40 years of his life he was in the desert eating (among other things) manna.  There are some highly dubious claims online that manna was kefir grains.  Given that manna is described as tasting sweet, and kefir is best described as sour, this interpretation seems difficult to reconcile with the biblical description.  While we don't know for certain what manna was, it is likely that manna was actually secretions from scale insects.  

Even if fermented milk resembling kefir grains existed in biblical times, there is no evidence linking it directly to the heirloom kefir grains used today.  

Kefir and Islam

There are a few internet sites mentioning kefir grains as being a gift from Mohammad to his people and/or to Orthodox Christians.  Many of these internet claims say the grains were a gift from Mohammad to his people and to Orthodox Christians.

Kefir is not mentioned in Sunnah or Hadith, and kefir being a gift from Mohammad is not a universally held belief among Muslims, all of which immediately casts serious doubt upon this claim.  

Kefir is not a common traditional religious food of all Muslim people.  Many nomadic Muslims produce and consume various other types of fermented milk instead of kefir.  There is little evidence that kefir occupies a unique or honoured place across Islamic tradition today, which further weakens claims that it was universally regarded as a gift from Muhammad

It seems illogical that Mohammad would only give this gift to Orthodox Christians, and not to his own people as well.  Again this part of the story casts serious doubt on this claim.  

I am not certain, but don't think Mohammad travelled into the Caucasus mountains or any part of south west Russia (which is the location of the first modern historical references to milk kefir).  It would be more likely that if kefir grains came from Mohammad, they would have entered the world somewhere else, and spread from there.  

I also found IslamQA which states they "haven’t come across any authentic narrations citing the incident above".  While I don't know how reliable that site is, the response was prepared by Islamic scholars. 

For the above reasons, I find it highly unlikely that Mohammad giving the grains to his people or to Orthodox Christians could be the origin of kefir.  The only thing that gives this story any weak credibility is that milk kefir recently came from the Caucasus region, which is Muslim dominated and would have had Orthodox Christians in early years.  The part about Mohammad not travelling there makes this story difficult to reconcile with the historical evidence currently available.

Scientists can make kefir grains (but not the ones people use at home) 

Evidence level: Strong

Contrary to a common internet claim, scientists have successfully produced kefir grain-like microbial structures capable of fermenting milk.  They are not identical to the heirloom grains used today, but they demonstrate that kefir grains are not beyond scientific understanding.

There are several published, peer reviewed papers where kefir grains have been reproduced, either entirely artificially, or by using somewhat natural methods (such as this, or this, and this). 

These incorrect claims of scientists being unable to make kefir grains are possibly because most kefir sold in supermarkets is not usually made using grains.  Supermarket kefir is usually made by adding a very small number of isolated strains to milk.  This is not because scientists can't make kefir grains.  

Commercially produced kefir not being made with grains has nothing to do with scientists' ability or inability to make the grains, its about keeping everything uniform. 

Instead of making kefir by using traditional grains, commercial kefir is usually made by adding a few isolated strains to milk.  Using a very small number of isolated strains ensures consistency of the final product, and makes it easier to batch test for safety.  Kefir made with grains often has vastly more cultures than store bought kefir, but it is different each batch, it changes from season to season.  Foods need to be tested to ensure safety.  Kefir made with grains is very safe, yet it is difficult to test each and every batch to demonstrate its safety, so it is not usually made this way commercially.  

The grains available to home fermenters were originally family heirlooms, passed down through generations.  While kefir grains you get from one person will be slightly different than grains you get from the person next door to them, they are still kefir grains.  

Even though scientists can make kefir grains, you cannot get kefir grains that descended from the ones that were originally made by scientists.  The heirloom grains passed between home fermenters remain the traditional way of making kefir. 

Scanning electron micrograph of natural kefir grain

What We Know (and What We Don't)

What we know

• Kefir was documented in the North Caucasus region of Russia by the nineteenth century.
• It spread to wider Russia in the early 1900s.
• Irina Sakharova played a central role in that story.
• Kefir grains are living microbial communities.
• Scientists have successfully created kefir grain-like structures.

What we don't know

• Exactly when kefir grains first formed.
• Whether today's grains descend from ancient fermented milk cultures.
• Whether biblical or religious stories have any historical basis.

Unlike written history, microbial communities don't leave an easily traceable fossil record, so finding the source of the very first kefir grains is extraordinarily difficult.

Kefir Today

By the late twentieth century, kefir had spread well beyond Russia and today is produced around the world.

There are various companies mass producing and selling what they call kefir.  These fermented milk drinks are marketed as kefir, but they are usually produced using a few isolated bacterial cultures rather than traditional kefir grains.  There are also some sachets that are used to make fermented milk, this is meant to taste vaguely similar to kefir.  Commercial kefir generally contain far fewer microbial species than traditional grain-fermented kefir, and is manufactured for consistency rather than wide microbial diversity.

After looking through the myths, archaeology, scientific papers and historical records, one thing becomes clear: the real history of milk kefir is fascinating enough without embellishment.  We still don't know exactly where kefir grains first appeared, but we know considerably more than many websites suggest, and the documented journey from the Caucasus to modern kitchens is remarkable in its own right. 

I cover with a strainer, but a cloth also works

Why the origin of kefir grains is such a mystery

Unlike yoghurt cultures, kefir grains are complex self-organising microbial communities.  They don't fossilise easily, they weren't deliberately invented, and before the nineteenth century almost nobody wrote about them. 

That combination makes tracing their true origin extraordinarily difficult. 

Where to get kefir to ferment at home

If you want to try fermenting milk kefir at home, you need to get some kefir grains.  These are not a type of 'grain', it is just their common name.  Much like a sea monkey is not a type of monkey, and a sea horse is not a type of horse, milk kefir grains are not a type of grain.  

Milk kefir grains are complex and ever changing colonies of beneficial bacteria and yeasts growing in a matrix of kefiran.  Kefiran is a microbial exopolysaccharide and is thought to be incredibly beneficial, this is often missing from commercial kefir flavoured drinks.  Milk kefir is super easy to make, while slightly more work than filmjölk, it is about the same effort as kombucha.

If you want to try making milk kefir yourself, For Australian readers, if you want to try this yourself, I sometimes sell traditional milk kefir grains.  My kefir grains are heirlooms, they contain living microbes, and they will live longer than you if they are looked after. 

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.  If you buy through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

If I don't have any spare kefir grains to sell, for Australian readers, I recommend sourcing Milk kefir starter culture.

For US and international readers you should consider checking Amazon for Milk kefir grains.

Related kefir articles and guides

If you want to go beyond the history and try some kefir for yourself, here are some of my related kefir guides and experiments:

• Simple instructions for making kefir at home - my simple everyday technique
• Milk kefir beginner guide - simple guide on kefir, what to expect, and troubleshooting
• Milk kefir from grains vs commercial kefir - how supermarket kefir is different from traditional grain-fermented kefir
• Simple recipe for farmer's cheese (tvorog) from kefir - an easy way to use extra kefir
• Filmjölk vs milk kefir - my experience fermenting and comparing these two cultured milks
• Continuous Brew Kombucha Recipe - my simple and traditional continuous brew method

Seed-Grown Daffodils vs Bought Daffodils: Are They Better?

Comparing Seed-Grown and Bought Daffodils

Several years ago I grew a batch of daffodils from seed.  Growing daffodils this way requires patience, as they can take several years before producing their first flowers, but eventually they rewarded me with clusters of beautiful and scented blooms. 

Around Easter time I was given several daffodil bulbs that had originally been store bought but the cultivar names have since been lost.  When I asked, I was simply told they were нарциссы, the Russian word commonly used for daffodils.  They could have been daffodils, or true jonquils, or a hybrid between the two.  I wasn't sure and I wasn't too bothered, I like daffodils and was glad to be included in the community enough to be gifted some bulbs.  

When these bulbs flowered this season, I noticed that several looked remarkably similar to my seed-grown plants.  That gave me the perfect opportunity to compare them side by side.

Some characteristics are influenced by growing conditions.  The number of flowers on each stem, stem height, and even flower size can all vary somewhat depending on soil, weather, and how established the bulbs are.  Rather than focusing on those traits, I wanted to compare the characteristics that seemed more consistent, including flower shape, petal form, and (this one is super important to me) fragrance.

Many modern commercial daffodil cultivars have been selected primarily for flower size, colour, uniformity, or garden performance rather than scent.  Seed-grown plants (depending on their parentage) can sometimes retain or express stronger fragrance.  My seed grown daffodils, or at least the ones I have not culled, are all highly fragrant.  

Why Grow Daffodils From Seed?

Growing daffodils from seed is not commonly done by home growers as it is not the fastest way to produce flowers and it takes more skill and patience than simply planting a bulb.  

It is surprising how often I tell people I grew daffodils from seed and they respond saying they didn't know you could grow daffodil from seed.  Maybe the can't grow a daffodil from a seed, but I can.

A bulb division produces an identical copy of the parent plant, while a seedling is a completely new combination of genetics.  Most seedlings will be nice, some may be sub-standard, occasionally you find a plant with a particularly interesting combination of traits.  All of them will be genetically unique.

I experiment growing many things from seed and have developed a lot of new and unique varieties that are better suited to my needs.  Sometimes I do this because I am specifically trying to breed something with a desired set of traits, sometimes to learn more about the genetics and biology of the plant, and sometimes purely because I have never grown that plant from seed before.

White Daffodil Comparison: Seed-Grown vs Bought Variety

Seed grown daffodil vs bought daffodil variety

Bought Daffodil Variety: small white flowers

Quick overview:

• Clusters of pure white flowers
• Light, pleasant fragrance
• Rounded petals give the flowers a softer appearance
• Attractive display, but the scent is fairly subtle

This bought variety produces attractive clusters of pure white flowers that are clean and symmetrical.  The blooms have a light, pleasant fragrance, although it isn't particularly strong unless you lean in close.  

The petals are broad and rounded, giving each flower a soft, full appearance.  Overall, it is an elegant daffodil that would make an excellent garden display, especially when planted in groups.

White daffodil bought variety has rounded petals

Seed-Grown White Daffodil

Quick overview:

• Clusters of pure white flowers
• Noticeably stronger fragrance
• Longer, more pointed petals create a star-like appearance
• Overall, the flowers appear slightly more delicate despite their similar size

From a distance, my seed-grown white daffodil looks similar to the bought variety.  

It also produces clusters of pure white flowers, but the fragrance is noticeably stronger and carries much further through the garden. 

At first glance they could easily be mistaken for the same variety, but seeing them side by side makes the subtle differences much easier to notice.  The petals of my seed grown daffodils are narrower and more pointed, giving the flowers a slightly star-shaped appearance rather than the rounded look of the bought variety.  I prefer the rounded petals, but I love the fragrance of my seed grown daffodils.

Seed grown daffodil on left has pointier petals

My seed grown daffodils on left, bought variety on right

Yellow Daffodil Comparison: Seed-Grown vs Bought Variety

Seed grown daffodils on left, bought variety on right

Bought Daffodil Variety: clusters of yellow flowers

Quick overview:

• Clusters of yellow flowers
• Stronger colours
• Larger flowers with larger cup
• Strong, pleasant fragrance

This cultivar produces clusters of cheerful yellow flowers that are slightly larger in size and form to my seed-grown yellow daffodil.  The cup was larger, and the colour was deeper and stronger than my seed grown plant.  Interestingly, the cup opened pale yellow before gradually deepening to an orange-yellow as the flower matured.

The blooms have a pleasant fragrance that is noticeably stronger than the white seed grown one I compared earlier.  It is an attractive plant that flowers beautifully and adds a bright splash of colour to the garden.  If I had paid for these myself, I wouldn't have been disappointed.

Larger cup and deeper colour in store bought (below)

Seed-grown daffodil on left is slightly smaller

Seed-Grown Yellow Daffodil

Quick overview:

• Large clusters of smaller yellow flowers
• Slightly less intense colouration
• Smaller, more open cup
• Very strong, pleasant fragrance
• High sentimental value

My seed-grown yellow daffodil is a sibling to the white seed-grown plant, having come from the same batch of seed.  This is the first daffodil I grew from seed to maturity and carries a lot of sentimental value for me. 

Its flowers are similar in size and shape to the yellow bought cultivar, making them difficult to distinguish at a glance.  A closer look reveals these flowers were smaller, and the cup was smaller and more open than the store bought variety.  The colour looked similar from a distance, but when side by side the colour of these was less intense than the bought variety.

While the size, shape, and colour are all slightly different, the biggest difference is the fragrance.  While the bought cultivar smells pleasant, the seed-grown plant has a remarkably strong scent that is obvious even from a distance.  

Seed-grown daffodil compared with the bought variety

My Thoughts on Seed Grown vs Bought Daffodil Comparison

Growing daffodils from seed is a slow process, but I find the results to be fascinating.  The resulting flowers are not identical to the parents, some are nicer, others less so.  

While the overall appearance was very similar to commercial varieties, the stronger fragrance and more pointed petals of my white flowered variety, and the more petite flowers and strong fragrance of my yellow,  gave my seed-grown while flowered plants a character of their own.  It also serves as a reminder that seedlings are genetically unique, so even when they resemble their parents, they can still develop their own combination of traits.

I cut a bunch to put on my kitchen table, and it filled almost my entire house with fragrance.  I intend to keep growing all of these varieties, but if I only had space for one I would go with the ones that have the strongest scent.

Of all the daffodils in this comparison, the yellow forms, both the bought cultivar and the seed-grown plant, were noticeably more fragrant than either of the white-flowered daffodils.  In my extremely small test both seed-grown daffodils had more fragrance than similar looking bought varieties. 

This is interesting because it suggests that flower colour alone doesn't predict fragrance, but in my small collection the yellow daffodils were consistently the most strongly scented.  Whether that's due to genetics (linked genes), parentage, reduction in viral load, or simply the cultivars I happen to be growing, it's something I'll be paying more attention to as I grow more daffodils from seed.

This isn't a scientific trial, just one gardener comparing a handful of plants, but it has made me even more interested in raising future generations of daffodils from seed to see what other surprises appear.  While some seed grown daffodils will be better than commercial cultivars, others will be worse, and all of them will be genetically unique.

Bought daffodil used in this comparison

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you grow daffodils from seed?

Yes, but seedlings usually take several years before flowering.

Are seed-grown daffodils the same as the parent plant?

No.  Unlike bulbs, seeds produce genetically unique plants.  They may look similar to one or both parents, or they may look completely different to both parents.

Do seed-grown daffodils smell better?

Some may have stronger fragrance, some may have lower or no fragrance, it depends on genetics and the individual plant.

How long do daffodils take to grow from seed?

Usually mine take 3 or 4 years before flowering.  Some can be sooner, others can take longer, it depends on both genetics and growing conditions.

Can I develop my own variety of daffodil?

Yes!  This takes patience.  Growing daffodils from seed creates genetically unique plants.  You can select your favourite seedling as your new variety.  Once you select a seed-grown daffodil you like, you can allow the bulb to divide.  As the bulb divides it will produce clones that you can keep in your garden, share around, or pass on as heirlooms that you developed.

Seed grown vs bought daffodils

Related Articles

Daffodils are a fascinating group of plants with a surprising amount of variation.  When grown from seed, even old heirloom varieties show a surprising amount of variation.  Here are some of my other articles exploring different daffodil varieties, comparisons, growing from seed, and observations from my own garden. 

• Growing daffodils from seed - first attempt
• Daffodils from seed - sibling comparison
• Growing nerine from seed
• Growing Aloe vera from seed
• Daffodil comparison of varieties - which one should you grow
• Jonquil vs Daffodil - what is the difference
• Spring flowering bulbs
• My plant catalogue - where I occasionally have bulbs, plants, and perennial vegetables available