What is Kombucha, how do you make it and does fermented tea have any real health benefits?
After doing some research, I’m really happy to share with you all about this drink that is soaring in popularity at grocery stores right now. What it is, how it’s made, and if there are any health benefits to drinking it.
Last year, I was working for a few months on a project with a Russian co-worker. Every day she would come in to the office with a homemade bottle of kombucha. We had a lot of downtime, so it naturally came up in conversation, and she would rave about this drink.
“It’s all natural!” she would say. “It’s filled with healthy antioxidants!” Having never heard of it before, I was curious to learn more about it. I’m also a natural skeptic, so I wasn’t ready to take her claims at face value right away.
I tried what she gave me and was surprised to find it actually wasn’t bad! The taste wasn’t overwhelming, just lightly fizzy and somewhat yeasty like a wheat beer.
What is Kombucha?
In short – fermented tea. Somewhat similar to beer, kombucha is produced by adding a sweetened black or green tea to a culture of yeast and bacteria. This culture has an acronym: SCOBY, which stands for “Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast”.
Together, these organisms produce the kombucha product, which you can enjoy as is or flavored with other things like juices and herbs. Because it’s fermented, it’s slightly bubbly and there is a trace amount (<0.5%) of alcohol produced.
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Where Does Kombucha Come From?
According to Wikipedia, the origins of kombucha are unknown. But, it’s traditionally consumed in Northeastern China, Russia, and Eastern Europe so it stands to reason it probably started there. These mysterious origins certainly add to its intrigue.
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How Can You Make DIY Kombucha?
Believe it or not, you can brew it yourself at home with a starter kit like this one above. What’s interesting, is that since the SCOBY is technically “alive” you can continually produce the drink by adding a fresh batch of tea and filtering out the SCOBY after it’s had time to ferment. So strange and cool that one starter kit gives you kombucha – indefinitely!
If you don’t want to keep up with the brewing though, you can also purchase really high quality, already made and flavored kombucha like this one below.
Are There Health Benefits to drinking fermented tea?
The fermentation of the SCOBY does produce some healthy probiotics such as those found in yogurt. Consumed regularly this can help aid in digestion. However, while there are some crazy claims out there that say kombucha cures a vast assortment of ailments like cancer, AIDS, and can even reverse grey hair, there haven’t been any conclusive studies on humans to support this. Like with most things in life, it’s probably best to consume in moderation.
Would You Try Kombucha?
Okay, after getting the scoop on SCOBY (sorry, #alliterationnerd) do you think you would give it a try? Why or why not?
Check out The Big Book of Kombucha: Brewing, Flavoring, and Enjoying the Health Benefits of Fermented Tea
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I’ve been seeing kombucha more and more lately and it has made me curious about it. I think it’s great that it can be made indefinitely, that certainly makes it more appealing to try making it myself. I might have to give some pre-made kombucha a try and if I like it I will start brewing it.
Hope you like it! It’s definitely an interesting drink, but there are just tons of brews/flavors out there now I think there’s one for everybody. Cheers!