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Kombucha: the drink of the moment. But what is it? This sparkling and non-alcoholic beverage is nothing more than fermented tea, rich in beneficial properties for our body, related to beer, kefir, yogurt, and many other fermented foods rich in "friendly" bacteria for the body. It is a "living beverage" prepared from a base of sweetened tea, fermented with a culture of bacteria and yeasts, better known as SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) or "mother" of kombucha.
Kombucha tea is a completely natural beverage, consumed in the East for millennia, but in recent years, it has also become popular in the West and in Italy, as an alternative to classic soft drinks of industrial production, but also as an alternative to cocktails and beer, being a non-alcoholic drink. It appears as a tea with an intense, orange color in the classic version, and sparkling: the predominant flavor is not that of tea, but rather a slightly acidic note that resembles apple cider, clearly in the unflavored version: the taste can vary depending on the type of fermentation, the tea used, and how it is enriched with flavors.
Kombucha is a beverage rich in beneficial bacteria for the body, as it is not only energizing and antioxidant but also capable of strengthening the intestinal flora, thanks to the fermentation process that makes kombucha a beverage so functional for the body, favorable for digestion, and able to maintain the balance of the microbiota.
The history of kombucha spans centuries: it is not a new beverage of modern invention; traces of it can be found in ancient China from 250 BC, where it was already considered an elixir with many beneficial properties and consumed by members of the Qin dynasty.
The origin of kombucha is shrouded in myths and legends that do not allow us to precisely trace its invention, but the attribution to the Qin period seems more than plausible: according to legend, the emperor Qin Chi Huangdi, the first emperor of unified China, was obsessed with the idea of becoming immortal and entrusted an alchemist with the task of preparing him an elixir of long life, which turned out to be kombucha. Qin Chi Huangdi did not become immortal - and indeed died because of this desire for immortality, having ingested pills he believed would grant him eternal life - but it is certain that in his still long life, he was a great enthusiast of kombucha.
Chinese believed that kombucha created a balance between the spleen and stomach, aiding digestion. In Japan, it is said to have been used by a doctor to cure Emperor Kombu, from whom the beverage's name derives. The beneficial properties of kombucha also reportedly led Japanese samurais in the 10th century BC to drink the infusion before each battle, as it made them stronger and healthier, and it is certainly the attributed benefits of the beverage that have allowed it to survive to this day.
Kombucha tea is prepared starting from a sweetened tea infusion, fermented by a culture of bacteria and yeast. To prepare it, it is necessary to obtain a SCOBY, and make sure it is alive. In addition to the kombucha mother, you will need:
The starter is nothing more than kombucha from another fermentation, necessary to "start" the fermentation of your tea. This is a basic ingredient, without which you cannot start a correct preparation of kombucha, as it helps to lower the pH of the infusion and activate the bacteria.
Measuring the ingredients is essential for the successful preparation of kombucha, and must be done in proportions: infuse 10 grams of tea leaves per liter of water, with 80/100 grams of sugar. For a liter of sweetened tea, a 100-gram SCOBY and 50/100 ml of liquid starter will be enough.
The first step is to bring the water to a boil to infuse the tea. Different teas have different temperatures and infusion times, so it is important to follow the tea preparation rules precisely. Generally, black tea is used, which has an infusion temperature of about 100°C and an infusion time of 8 minutes. If you add spices, the infusion may take longer.
Once the infusion is complete, filter the tea and sweeten it, respecting the indicated proportion. Sugar is a very important element, as it feeds the culture of bacteria and allows the fermentation of kombucha to start. Many people worry about the amount of sugar in kombucha, but in reality, as in all fermentations, some of the sugar is transformed, so it will not all be found in the final kombucha.
Once the infusion has cooled (below 30°C) and the sugar has dissolved, you can add the starter, and therefore the SCOBY, which should be placed on the liquid. In some cases, the mother will float, in others it will settle on the bottom: in both cases, there is no need to worry. Generally, if you buy the SCOBY from specialized shops, it will already be provided immersed in the liquid starter. Thanks to the SCOBY, the tea will ferment.
It is necessary to cover the container in which the liquid with the SCOBY is fermenting with a cotton cloth, allowing air to filter. This process is called the first fermentation, and it is very dependent on the environment in which it is located, on the temperature, and on the general conditions, which can vary the duration of the process. Generally, 1-2 weeks are needed for the first fermentation.
Once the fermentation is complete and the desired taste is reached, you can proceed with bottling the kombucha. The SCOBY must be kept to be used for a new fermentation. If the new production is not started immediately, the SCOBY must be kept in the liquid starter, so that it can continue to live and grow, and kept at room temperature, as the temperature of the refrigerator would prevent the development of bacteria.
Kombucha can undergo a second fermentation, which will result in sparkling kombucha tea. Sealed bottles should be left to rest at room temperature for 12-48 hours, allowing the bacteria to feed on the sugar, producing carbon dioxide. Kombucha with the second fermentation will therefore become more sparkling and less sweet.
Like all fermentations, preparing kombucha at home requires attention and care for the SCOBY, and a precise and meticulous observance of the processes. Preparing kombucha at home is absolutely safe, and there are no particular precautions to follow, as the fermentation environment that is created prevents the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. It is important to take care of the hygiene of the processes, and make sure that the SCOBY is alive and nourished.
As we have already mentioned, kombucha is notoriously known as the "elixir of long life" and widely consumed for its beneficial properties. Being a fermented beverage, it is indeed rich in "live" probiotic substances, allies of the body and the microbiota, beneficial for the bacterial flora.
The probiotic activity in the intestinal tract is very important for the health of the microbiota and the body, facilitating digestion, diversifying the bacterial flora, and restoring balance. The microbiota is often defined as the "second brain" of our body, and keeping it healthy is key to warding off diseases and maintaining a healthy body.
Often the properties of this beverage are exaggerated, attributing miraculous benefits to it, especially in relation to autoimmune diseases, but most of these benefits are testimonies of traditional medicine. Scientific studies confirm instead that kombucha is a beverage:
Kombucha is certainly beneficial in terms of bacterial metabolism, and the lack of consensus regarding its properties may depend on the variety of bacteria present in the culture, which make its effects variable. As stated by Professor Cavalieri in an article on Wired, an important aspect of kombucha is that acetic and lactic bacteria create communities with interesting properties in fermented foods, a stable and safe microbiological environment, reducing the risk of proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms. This characteristic is also typical of other fermented foods, such as yogurt and kefir. We discussed this further in the article on natural remedies for candida, a well-known fungal infection.
Often beneficial properties are attributed to kombucha for controlling diabetes, lowering blood pressure, obesity, strengthening the kidneys, and it is even claimed that kombucha is good for hair. In reality, scientific studies do not confirm these properties, and in any case, kombucha should not be consumed as if it were a drug.
Discover Kombucha for Sale on Terza Luna
As you can see, kombucha is a beverage surrounded by myths and legends, and these also concern the possible contraindications in consuming this fermented tea. It is often possible to read about alleged risks associated with the consumption of kombucha, but just like many of the claimed properties, they are not supported by scientific evidence and therefore not sufficient to demonstrate any danger to the body from this beverage. There are no particular side effects associated with kombucha, although it is important in homemade production to adhere to all hygiene standards and follow the procedure precisely, as well as store the beverage optimally.
Many express reluctance regarding the sugars contained in the fermented tea: in reality, the amount of sugar in kombucha is not so high, and much of it is consumed by the bacteria during fermentation and transformed into acetic acid.
There are no reference values regarding how much kombucha to drink, and as mentioned, there are no verified side effects related to its consumption. Like all foods and beverages, it is good not to overdo it and consume it in moderation, but if you are aware of the production method and its safety, there is no reason not to consume it regularly, paying attention to the implications related to sugar consumption.
At Terza Luna you can buy Kombucha Fervere, one of the first artisanal Kombucha laboratories in Italy, in boxes with different flavorings. The kombucha in the Terza Luna shop is produced with very high-quality tea, a blend of black tea from Nepal, quality guaranteed by Terza Luna.
