Kombucha

Kombucha is a refreshing fermented drink of sweet tea with a pleasant sweet-sour taste and a natural light fizz. It is fermented by a SCOBY — a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts, a gelatinous disc that floats on the surface of the drink (popularly it was often called a “tea mushroom”).

The process is in two stages. First strong sweet tea (black or green) is brewed, cooled, and a SCOBY is added together with a portion of finished kombucha “starter”. Over 1–2 weeks the yeasts ferment the sugar into alcohol, and the bacteria convert that alcohol into organic acids — the drink sours, becomes less sweet, and is saturated with beneficial compounds. In the second stage the kombucha is poured into bottles, often with added fruit or spices, and sealed — here it ferments further and is saturated with carbon dioxide, becoming naturally fizzy. Finished kombucha contains organic acids and live bacteria and yeasts; it is often chosen instead of sugary carbonated drinks, although there is no clinical proof of the health benefits attributed to it. Its flavour is varied with infusions, and the alcohol content remains minimal.