Kombucha , A Fermented Tea
Kombucha is a fizzy sweet-and-sour drink made with tea.
Kombucha tea is a sweetened tisane produced through fermentation. Plain kombucha has an acidic, vinegar-like flavor in addition to the original sweet tea flavor. The strength of the tea flavor can be adjusted with the amount of tea bags brewed per volume of water. Kombucha is available at most health food stores, and the organic section of some regular grocery stores. The steps below outline
Kombucha starts out as a sugary tea, which is then fermented with the help of a scoby. “SCOBY” is actually an acronym for “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.” It’s very close cousins to the mother used to make vinegar.
The scoby bacteria and yeast eat most of the sugar in the tea, transforming the tea into a refreshingly fizzy, slightly sour fermented (but mostly non-alcoholic) beverage that is relatively low in calories and sugar.
The fermentation process takes between 7 to 14 days.
Probiotics
Which brings us to the next question: What’s actually in kombucha? Kombucha is indisputably full of probiotics(Probiotics are live microorganisms promoted with claims that they provide health benefits when consumed, generally by improving or restoring ..) and other happy things that our intestines love and that help boost our overall health. Claims that kombucha cures things like arthritis, depression, and heart burn have less of a proven track record, but hey, our bodies are all different and I say go for it if it works for you.
Is There Alcohol in Kombucha?
Kombucha does contain a little bit of alcohol as a by-product of the fermentation process. It is usually no more than 1%, so unless you drink several glasses back to back, you should be just fine. However, people with alcohol sensitivities or who avoid alcohol for other reasons should be aware of its presence.
