Kombucha

Kombucha is a fermented beverage made from sweetened tea. A specific symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts - referred to as a mother, a SCOBY, or erroneously a mushroom - feeds on the sweetened tea and produces organic acids, B vitamins, some vitamin C, anti-oxidants, carbon dioxide, and sometimes alcohol, amongst many other compounds. Depending on how long the fermentation is allowed to continue, the flavour varies from tart sweet tea, to a vinegar-like mouth pucker. As a live pro-biotic-rich beverage, it has a traditional health-promoting tonic in China, Korea, Russia, Greece, and Germany.

Kombucha has been found to increase the anti-oxidant activity of the tea from which it is fermented, as well as improving immunity and resilience in the face of stress. Many people report improvements in digestion - even in chronic and debilitating problems, inflammatory conditions like arthritis and allergies, and auto-immune conditions. The recent scientific discovery of important links between these conditions and gut health - particularly concerning beneficial flora - make such claims quite credible. 

Brewing kombucha is easy - provided you have a mother culture - and it can be flavoured and carbonated according to taste. You can brew it in batches of various sizes and experiment with different teas, sugars, and durations of fermentation, or you can use the continuous method and have kombucha on tap. Flavouring, fizzing, and even adding chia seeds for an Asian-style textural experience, are popular ways to enjoy it at home. Kombucha that has brewed too long can be used in salad dressings and marinades in place of vinegar. Mothers, which accumulate quickly, can be candied, dried into jerky, whizzed up in smoothies, or made into exfoliating face masks.

For more information on Kombucha you can check out one of my Culturing Health with Kombucha workshops, or have a look at some further reading:

The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz

And on Facebook join the Fermenter’s Kitchen, Kombucha Nation, and Wild Fermentation groups.