Kombucha 101: What Is Kombucha?
Several years ago, I read an article about the amazing health benefits of a weird, fermented, fizzy tea. While not sold on its "magic bullet" properties, I wanted to try the stuff when it hit the shelves of my local supermarket.
One sip, and I was sold.
That taste... it was like nothing I'd ever had before. It was fizzy, it was uplifting. It was perfectly sweet, but not overly so. With few calories and possible probiotic benefits, what was not to love?
I'll tell you what was not love - the price. At $2.50 to $5.00 per 15 ounce bottle, kombucha was too expensive to enjoy on a regular basis. So much for substituting my soda addiction.
Last spring, however, I finally mustered the courage to start brewing my own kombucha at home. But that's for a later article - for now, I want to introduce you to the mysteries of kombucha.
What Is Kombucha?
Kombucha is a fermented tea. It traces its roots to around 220 B.C. in China, where it was considered a life-extending elixir. Legend has it that it came to be called kombucha when a certain Mr. Kombu gifted some of the concoction to the emperor of Japan. Cha is the Chinese word for tea, so kombu-cha meant "Kombu's tea."
To make kombucha, you start with black tea, sugar, and something called a SCOBY.
"SCOBY" stands for "Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast." That may not sound too appealing, but the microbes are what give the tea its fizz and flavor. The process is very similar to that used for making vinegar, and the SCOBY is a akin to the "vinegar mother."
SCOBYs are rubbery mats of cellulose woven by a bacteria known as Gluconacetobacter xylinus, formerly called Acetobacter xylinum. The mat is home to good yeasts (not the kind that cause yeast infections), as well as other bacteria. The yeast eat the sugar to produce alcohol, and the bacteria eat the alcohol to produce acetic acid, the primary component in vinegar. These microbes make kombucha "probiotic," providing digestion-friendly bacteria to your gut.
What Does Kombucha Taste Like?
Your taste buds may be in for a pleasant shock the first time you taste kombucha. The smell and taste are somewhat vinegary, but the flavor is well balanced with sweetness and natural carbonation. Fruit or fruit extracts are often added to enhance the flavor. The fizziness makes kombucha an excellent substitute for traditional sodas.
With homemade kombucha, there is also often a warming sensation in the stomach, similar to that produced by drinking vinegar with the mother.
Why Drink Kombucha?
Personally, I drink kombucha because it is delicious. It also gives me a boost of energy before workouts, and my husband and I both agree that it brightens our moods.
There are innumerable purported health benefits to kombucha, from weight loss to diabetes to just about anything else that ails you. Blondes Can't Cook is not a medical resource and therefore does not endorse any of those claims, but you can read about some of the supposed benefits here.
A word of caution is in order, however. It has been stated that those with suppressed immune systems should not drink kombucha due to its high microbial content. And, just as with home canning, improper handling can result in dangerous contamination. Read about possible adverse effects here.
That said, I enjoy home brewed kombucha regularly, and it hasn't killed me. If you'd like to brew your own, too, check out our upcoming posts.
