What’s the deal with Kombucha?

Originally Posted on Emerald Media via UWIRE

Kombucha is not for everyone. Like many others, I initially rejected the concept of anything that calls itself “mushroom tea” and smells faintly of vinegar. And the homeopathic remedies it claims to have, ranging from simple indigestion to cancer, just make me all the more skeptical.

I’m still wary of the more serious health benefits, but I’ve found through my own, well-researched experimentation that kombucha is a pretty damn good hangover remedy. There are many scientifically unfounded curative elements to kombucha, but the aid to gastric distress is the most plausible. The drink is chock full of probiotics, a good-for-you bacteria also found in yogurt that keeps your intestines a-flowin’. GT’s Kombucha boasts about 2 billion probiotics per serving.

“I don’t really pay attention to that. I just drink it because it tastes good… I don’t really believe it until I look into it for myself,” said Adrian Robins, a senior in environmental science and avid kombucha-drinker.

The fermented tea has ancient roots in China, however it has just recently become commercially popular in the States. It’s made by keeping tea and sugar in a jar with a SCOBY, or symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, producing a fermented, fizzy beverage compared from to weak vinegar, sparkling apple cider or healthy “soda.”

I eased myself in the kombucha culture out of friends’ recommendations and for the sake of trying something new. GT’s Kombucha (better known as Synergy, one of the leading brands of kombucha) is an incredibly sweet variety of kombucha and comes with the added, textural fun of chia seeds.

“If someone likes sweeter tasting drinks or are big soda drinkers, the Love flavor [of Brew Dr.] is really good,” said said Mahala Ray, a Townshend’s Tea employee. Other good “beginner” Brew Dr. kombucha flavors are Nutritonic and Clear Mind.

However, kombucha can be a bit pricey. Depending on the store, bottles of the stuff are between $3.50 to $5; if you can find it on tap, it’ll be a bit cheaper. But like most things, DIY is cheapest — no fancy equipment, no hard-to-find ingredients. Simply water, tea, sugar, a few Mason jars and a SCOBY, which you can purchase online, acquire from a homebrewing friend, or make from a commercial kombucha.

Robins brews his own kombucha in his apartment, made from a SCOBY from his cousin’s own homemade batch.

“I was a big fan. Once you start (brewing) and you don’t have anyone to give your SCOBYs to, you just start asking everyone you know if they want to start brewing. She gave me one of her SCOBY babies and what I have now is the great-great-great grandmother SCOBY,” Robins said.

While fermenting, the SCOBY reproduces to form a “baby” SCOBY. These can be used to start a new batch of kombucha or to share with a friend.

“Mostly starting to make kombucha is the hard part. If you want some homemade kombucha, you can’t just brew yourself a cup. You have to plan a month ahead,” Robins said. For a quick kombucha fix, his favorite is Townshend’s Tea Brew Dr. brand.

“It’s a cool process to see the SCOBY grow and watch the mixture ferment,” said Jen Beard, a friend of Robins. “My favorite part of helping out Adrian was picking out tea flavors for the kombucha.”

Robins starts by brewing a large pot of Nilgiri FOP from Eugene-based Young Mountain Tea. After steeping for the recommended time, he adds sugar and allows the mixture to come to room temperature in a one-gallon mason jar. The sugar is absolutely necessary in order to promote the aerobic process of fermentation (where sugar is converted to carbon dioxide). The SCOBY and a bit of the last batch of kombucha is added to the mix to increase the acidity of the mixture and kick-start fermenting, then set in a cool, dark place to ferment for about two to four weeks.

Read more here: http://dailyemerald.com/2014/05/20/whats-the-deal-with-kombucha/
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