Kombucha
5 ratings since posting on Friday, December 1, 2006|
(submitted by
Sara
)
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Overall Rating based on 5 ratings |
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You guys are going to make me get to the store to go get some. Kombucha is wonderful, but please guys don't think it's a wonder tonic and drink too much... It's powerful stuff, and drinking more than necessary for your body could be harmful (and make sure to drink water too, becuase it's a diuretic). Other than than, yeah I second everything everyone else said about it... - Jan , posted 12/01/06 |
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But I was utterly shocked that Trader Joes on the east coast didn't carry it. I asked one of the employees and the guy didn't even know what it was. - Raja Ananda , posted 12/01/06 |
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It has replaced my desire for that "afternoon coffee" i don't even drink coffee, but a few times a week i would in the late afternoons..now it is replaced by yummy live enzymes made from the cultures of a tea plant! I personally did have a hard time with the smell and taste at first, i started off drinking kombucha "wonder drink" because it had a lower percentage of kombucha, but now my favorite brand (in this area-bay area) is Synergy! love the stuff...helps with my energy and i think it helps with digestion since we don't get too many live enzymes (for us non-raw fooders). great stuff, i don't know what i would do without it! yuM! - ♥Snax♥ , posted 12/01/06 |
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A girlfriend of mine on Maui actually took over a kombucha operation, and was selling it by the gallon to certain cafes. Her recipes included specific formula for men and women, and she varied the flavor by using different teas, and adding juices after the fermentation. My favorite was blueberry-ginger, but even plain kombucha is incredible, and while some people have a hard time with the flavor and smell, it has never bothered me! A few years ago, I even drove fifty miles round-trip to pick up a case of the stuff because it wasn't available in my hometown. And then I got all of my friends hooked on kombucha. - Helena , posted 12/01/06 |
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Okay...recently kombucha has been brought to my attention. Some may ask "what in the world is this stuff?". Well let me tell you! This is a fermented tea made from green or black tea. The fermentation process allows the formation of glucaric acid which is currently under investigation for cancer prevention. Basicly what occurs in the body is an increase in detoxification when consumed. Its first recorded use is said to have been during the Qin Dynasty of China (221 BC), though the first confirmed evidence of its existence is of Russian origin and dates from the Early Modern Age, when tea first became affordable in Eastern Europe. To make kombucha here is a simple recipe. Boil 12 cups (about 3 liters) of water, then add one cup of white sugar (I actually use natural cane sugar that hasn't been super refined) and let the mixture boil for about five minutes. Next, remove from heat and add five tea bags (black or green only; do not use herbal teas). Let the tea steep (covered) until it reaches room temperature, and then pour it into the jar containing the kombucha culture. Cover the jar with a towel and let it sit for seven or eight days (may be slightly longer in colder environments). After this time, pour the kombucha drink into air-tight glass bottles (re-used sauce jars work well also), leaving enough tea with the culture so that it floats a couple of inches off the bottom (this is called the starter tea). Put the filled bottles in the refrigerator for a few days before consumption. This allows the flavor to deepen, and the natural carbonation to build up. Repeat the process as desired, but do not leave the kombucha culture in only the starter tea for longer than two weeks, as it will start to dry out. Each time the kombucha culture goes through the fermentation process, it creates another layer. After three or four layers have built up, the tea will become sour and taste somewhat like vinegar. At this time, it is important to remove one or two of the layers, which are then either discarded or used to start a new batch. In every step of the preparation process, it is important that hands and utensils (anything that is going to come into contact with the culture) are kept extremely clean so as not to contaminate the kombucha. Where do you get the culture? Just ask me. We can meet up and I'll give you a piece of my little kombucha friend...often referred to as the baby. Cheers! - Sara , posted 12/01/06 |
Kombucha was recommended for:
- Tribe: Milwaukee Tribe
- Tribe: Milwaukee Yoga
