The Kombucha Tea Mystery - What it is and How It"s Made
Kombucha tea is a sweet tea made by combining a symbiotic, probiotic colony of yeast and bacteria (sometimes mistakenly referred to as a mushroom), with a mixture of sugar and black tea.
The ingredients are allowed to ferment anywhere from 7 to 14 days, though time frames vary from user to user.
Kombucha is most commonly prepared by taking a starter sample from an existing culture and growing a new colony in a fresh jar.
Advocates of Kombucha Tea claim that it has therapeutic effects and health benefits that regular consumption may provide, even though those claims have not been scientifically verified.
There have also been illnesses and deaths connected to the tea that the beverage may be responsible for.
Such reported side affects and/or illnesses often occur in communities or groups who obtain their colony from the same growth, or "mushroom.
" Problems may also occur when a whole batch of tea is contaminated with dirty utensils or containers.
As the tea has grown in popularity a few commercial growers and makers of Kombucha have entered the market, although most regular drinkers grow and brew their own batches.
The preferred material for making and storing Kombucha tea is glass, as stainless steel, ceramics, and plastics may leak toxic by-products into the liquid during the long "fermenting" process, such as lead.
It is imperative that all utensils and dishes used to ferment, store, and make Kombucha tea are as clean as possible, otherwise, mold and bacteria growth may occur.
Because yeast is part of the colony used to ferment the tea there is a small amount of alcohol present in the beverage; most kombucha teas contain around 1% alcohol, though it depends on how long the tea ferments.
In short, Kombucha tea is claimed to aid in a variety of ailments as well as an easy weightloss liquid by those who support it, while the scientific community remains skeptical of its benefits to the human body.
However, K-Tea is still growing in popularity in the United States and around the world.
The ingredients are allowed to ferment anywhere from 7 to 14 days, though time frames vary from user to user.
Kombucha is most commonly prepared by taking a starter sample from an existing culture and growing a new colony in a fresh jar.
Advocates of Kombucha Tea claim that it has therapeutic effects and health benefits that regular consumption may provide, even though those claims have not been scientifically verified.
There have also been illnesses and deaths connected to the tea that the beverage may be responsible for.
Such reported side affects and/or illnesses often occur in communities or groups who obtain their colony from the same growth, or "mushroom.
" Problems may also occur when a whole batch of tea is contaminated with dirty utensils or containers.
As the tea has grown in popularity a few commercial growers and makers of Kombucha have entered the market, although most regular drinkers grow and brew their own batches.
The preferred material for making and storing Kombucha tea is glass, as stainless steel, ceramics, and plastics may leak toxic by-products into the liquid during the long "fermenting" process, such as lead.
It is imperative that all utensils and dishes used to ferment, store, and make Kombucha tea are as clean as possible, otherwise, mold and bacteria growth may occur.
Because yeast is part of the colony used to ferment the tea there is a small amount of alcohol present in the beverage; most kombucha teas contain around 1% alcohol, though it depends on how long the tea ferments.
In short, Kombucha tea is claimed to aid in a variety of ailments as well as an easy weightloss liquid by those who support it, while the scientific community remains skeptical of its benefits to the human body.
However, K-Tea is still growing in popularity in the United States and around the world.
