We’ve waxed rhapsodic about the way Kombucha makes us feel before. We are totally addicted to it, in the best of ways. It tastes like a strong soda, and it somehow makes us feel like a mixture of a marathon runner, and a little high. Since we discovered it a year ago, it’s been a staple of our fridge. However, this is no new invention;
According to WIKI; “The recorded history of this drink dates back to the Qin Dynasty in China (around 250 BC). The Chinese called it the “Immortal Health Elixir,” because they believed Kombucha balanced the Middle Qi (Spleen and Stomach) and aided in digestion, allowing the body to focus on healing. Knowledge of kombucha eventually reached Russia and then Eastern Europe around the Early Modern Age, when tea first became affordable to the populace. The name “kombucha” is said to have originated in Japan in 415 AD. Reportedly, a Korean physician called Kombu or Kambu treated the Emperor Inyko with the tea. It became known by a combination of the name, “Kombu” and the word, “cha,” meaning tea.[1] However, in Japan, kombucha tea is known as “kocha kinoko” which translates as “tea mushroom”. Kombu literally means “kelp” in Japanese[2] and the name “Kombucha” is used to refer to a hot drink made from powdered kelp.”
Thus far we’ve been hooked on the GTS Brand Organic Raw Kombucha brand, since they have had a strong hold on the market (the only other one we have found has added sugars, and homey don’t play that). The GTS brand was formed by a son trying to find homeopathic ways to help his Mom beat cancer, as Kombucha has incredible cancer-fighting properties. It’s a taste you need to acclimate to, but we find it delicious, and it satisfies that part of us that craves something fermented (like beer). We get Kombucha by GTS (available at most health food stores, Whole Foods, and delis in major cities). We just hope they start carrying it at bars, so we have alternative to $12 glasses of organic Merlot, it makes you feel THAT good!
With all the recent press surrounding this odd tasting beverage, we thought we’d go to the Kombuchaman himself (yes, that is his name, and yes, Kombucha is his game) for answers and the scoop on his very own brand of Kombucha hitting the NY area this summer (watch out GTS!);
“Four years ago I was handed a bottle of GT’S Kombucha. It was the first exposure I had to this cultured tea that has now taken a hold of many areas of my life. At first I was over taken by the intense bubbles and sour apply taste and a little put off by the drink. Regardless of the taste, I continued drinking it. After a week it became a regular part of my diet. Now, four years later, as Kombuchman, I brew kombucha, speak kombucha, cook with kombucha, and of course drink kombucha. My name is Kombuchman and I am the founder of Brewed in Brooklyn Kombucha, providing and brewing the best and only local kombucha for the people of New York (will be in stores by this summer).
Kombucha has been around for over two thousand years. It has moved its way all throughout the world and is made in many different ways. Kombucha drinkers around the world have credited it with:
- Curing stomach problems like heart burn and poor digestion.
- Improving acne and keeping skin healthy and young looking
- Increasing energy
- Heightening mood
- Fighting and preventing common illnesses
- Relieving menstrual pain
- Stabilizing blood pressure
- Repairing a damaged liver
- Cleaning blood
- Controlling weight
Kombucha has done many things for me in my life. I have incorporated it in my daily routine and attribute it for keeping my body as healthy as is has kept it. Along with a good organic diet and regular exercise, Kombucha keeps my body balanced and energized. The process in which kombucha becomes kombucha is simple in practice but complex in nature. It requires a batch of sweetened tea (I have found black to be the best), acidification from already made kombucha, and a Kombucha SCOBY. This stands for “Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and yeast.” As soon as the SCOBY hits the tea, the bacteria and yeast begin to convert the chemical structure of the solution into Kombucha. With a warm constant temperature and a lot of love, Kombucha is ready to bottle in around 9 days. After bottling it can be left outside the fridge to gain carbonation.
After falling out of the limelight for many years, kombucha is beginning not only to find its way in peoples homes, but is also becoming more an more present in stores everywhere. If Kombucha (and Kombucha drinkers) continue to propogate as quickly as they are, we will hopefully see kombucha around every turn. If you want to know more about Kombucha, including the exact process in which it is made, sign up for one of my classes at the Brooklyn Kitchen (in Brooklyn, NY) or check out my site: binbkombucha.com. If you just have questions, ask them below, or if you would like a complete brew to make your own Kombucha; hit me up:[email protected]”
One thing is for sure, Kombucha aint going anywhere, anytime soon. Have your insight, comments, or questions about Kombucha? Share in the comments section below. Images provided by Bin Bk Kombucha