Kombucha, SCOBY, and magical tea
I have several friends and neighbors who have been making their own kombucha for months and even years now, and I finally decided I might want to try my hand at it. I love drinking it, especially the brand GTS living foods, but I don’t like paying for it! When I started to research a little bit more I discovered the plethora of health benefits from drinking kombucha, and I learned new vocabulary words.
Well, what exactly is kombucha? I’ve heard it described as magical tea, but a more complete definition would be that it’s a liquid made by fermenting tea and sugar with a kombucha culture. That kombucha culture, I have learned as well goes by many different names, but can be best described as a SCOBY (an acronym for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). Now the SCOBY looks a little bit like a jelly fish or a large mushroom, neither of which really entice me to want to drink any of the liquid it has been floating in. However, this culture is what makes the tea so special. The SCOBY is kept alive by adding sugar every so often (don’t worry, the SCOBY consumes it) and the flavors can be adjusted by adding different fresh fruits.
Now some of the health benefits I read about included easing joint pain, relieving seasonal allergies, and improving eyesight. Personally though, when consuming kombucha, I have noticed improvements in my digestion. Some of my friends have noticed changes in gluten tolerance and skin issues. Those health benefits are possible from all the nutrients from the SCOBY such as glucuronic acid, B vitamins, and amino acids. Making your own kombucha is easy too, and there are lots of recipes out there. The biggest issue is finding your starter culture of the SCOBY and some kombucha tea. Once you have those, you are set to continue the process for as long as the SCOBY allows.
Honestly, maybe making my own kombucha isn’t going to be a big money saver, but the SCOBY that my neighbor gave me to start my own operation opened the door for a great friendship, and my kids have loved experimenting with different fruits and fermentation times to see who can make the fizziest batch. Now comes the issue of trying to get my husband to drink it as well 😊
For more information about kombucha check out the website https://www.culturedfoodlife.com/
Also check out http://ancientawakenings.net/ which is a local health store. They usually have classes on how to make your own kombucha and where to get your own SCOBY.
Happy fermenting!
~Dr. Shannon
