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Have you heard of kombucha? For those who are looking for a healthier diet, this drink has become quite successful in recent times. But don't think that kombucha came up recently. Quite the contrary: it is a millenary refreshment, produced by hand, and that guarantees several benefits to the body.
So you stay on top of this drink? and who knows how to consume it in your daily life ?, we chatted with Leonardo Andrade and Fernando Goldenstein Carvalhaes, entrepreneurs and founders of the Fermented Company. Check out!
Content Index:
- Which is
- How to make
- Benefits
- Dangers
- Recipe
- Where to buy
What is kombucha
Kombucha is a non-alcoholic fermented beverage produced from a tea with the addition of 100% natural ingredients. It is tasty, refreshing and naturally sparkling (able to form bubbles).
Kombucha Origin
Made over 2,000 years ago, the drink is of Chinese origin. Many people even associate kombucha with kefir and kimchi, but does that make sense? Well, there is no direct relationship between them. However, it is noteworthy that they do have similar characteristics due to fermentation by wild organisms and, mainly, because they are a form of food conservation.
Read also: Parsley tea: Know if it is really beneficial to prepare this drink
How to take kombucha
Kombucha is a natural and healthy alternative to other industrial beverages that exist. However, it should not be viewed as an elixir of life or medicine. It can be consumed daily: when you wake up, during the day, at night or simply when you feel like it. But beware: Just like any other drink, excessive drinking can be bad for your health.
So, were you curious to try this refreshing drink that can also be very tasty? The time has come for you to know how to prepare kombucha.
How to make kombucha
Did you know that the drink can be even tastier by performing the first fermentation and days after the second fermentation? Yeah, this handcrafted drink requires a little patience, but the result may be surprising! Watch the following videos and understand the whole process.
First fermentation
For this fermentation, we will need a cellulose and scoby (also called "mother of kombucha"). You can buy it or receive it by donation. It is a colony of good bacteria and yeast, ensuring improvements to the gut. In addition to scoby, the preparation had green tea, water to make tea and demerara sugar. After tea is ready, at room temperature, add the scoby and sugar, which will feed the bacteria. Reserve this recipe for seven days? It should ferment in a dark environment at room temperature.
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Second fermentation
In this second process, the production of the beverage fermented for seven days. After this time, scoby is removed from the container. The next step is to taste. You can even drink the pure kombucha (adding sugar, honey or molasses), but in that case the drink was flavored with fruit. After adding the fruit, keep it in a tightly closed bottle to produce gas and not continue fermentation for long. Wait another three days and finally the kombucha will be ready to be consumed.
It is very important to use a glass container in recipes. In addition, the drink can also be strained, as there is always a residue of cellulose inside the bottle. The end result is kombucha, which has several advantages for our health. Oh, but don't forget: scoby is a bacterial colony, so it can also be a means for breeding bad bacteria. So be very careful? sanitize your hands well and wear gloves, preferably.
Benefits of Kombucha
Besides knowing the whole process for the production of the drink, it is also very important to know its benefits and even dangers. In fact, there are no finalized scientific studies to certify that ingesting kombucha has any real health benefits. However, its fermentation generates components that can do the organism good. Check out how kombucha can contribute:
- Probiotics: Various organisms present in kombucha are compatible with our intestinal flora. Thus, when ingested, they help maintain this flora.
- Nourishing: During the fermentation process, B and K complex vitamins are generated as a metabolite in fermentation. Some people, for example, report that after consuming kombucha, they are more willing because of the presence of these vitamins.
- Therapeutic: Also due to fermentation, organisms generate enzymes that actually aid in our digestion. Thus, consuming kombucha after a heavier meal may help our body.
Dangers of kombucha
As it is a wild fermentation process, its production must be carried out with high control. Otherwise, these risks may occur:
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- High alcohol content: When kombucha is produced with added excess sugar and fruit, it may have an alcohol content (greater than 4%), thus exploding the bottle and generating other unhealthy components such as methanol.
- Contamination: Care is required at the time of beverage production. Since scoby is a bacterial colony, it turns out to be a means for bad bacteria to reproduce. Therefore the importance of cleaning both hands and products (such as cutlery and containers) that are used during the preparation of kombucha.
Because of these dangers, Leonardo Andrade and Fernando Goldenstein Carvalhaes of the Fermented Company gave a very important tip: when you are going to consume kombucha, choose a drink from a producer who knows the process and is not sweet on the palate. The sweeter the drink (whether from fruit or from added sugar), indicates the presence of residual sugar, which may become, by fermentation, alcohol, carbon dioxide (which may cause the bottle to explode) and other undesirable components.
Kombucha Recipe with Mate Tea and Ginger
For those of you who wanted to venture into the world of kombucha and are already thinking about producing their own drink, the entrepreneurs of the Fermented Company shared with us a very tasty recipe:
Ingredients of the first fermentation
- 1 liter of water
- 100 ml starter (first fermentation old kombucha)
- 15 g of mate tea (in flakes or bags)
- 50 g white sugar
Method of preparation
- Put the water in the fire. As soon as it boils, turn it off;
- Add the mate tea and wait 10 minutes? no more than that, because tea can bitter. After this time, strain the mate tea into a container;
- Mix all the sugar until it dissolves well;
- Covered with a clean cloth, allow the drink to cool to room temperature;
- Once it has reached room temperature, transfer the tea to the container where the colony is already with the starter;
- Cover the container with a clean cloth and secure with a rubber band. Warning: Never cover or close tightly!
- Let it ferment for at least three days. If it is cold, it may take up to 10 days or more for the tea to ferment;
- Keep the tea in a place where it will not be necessary to move the container. This chosen location must also be away from direct sources of heat (such as a stove) and away from sunlight;
- At the beginning of this process, it is normal for the mother of kombucha (the scoby) to sink. Over the days, it may (or may not) rise and float on the tea surface. Note that a new film will begin to form on top of the drink? it will be a new colony developing;
- After the third day, remove some tea and try. You will know when the tea is ready as soon as it is much less sweet than the beginning and with a slight vinegar flavor. If this does not occur within three days, leave more time, which may be up to 10 days. If it stays too long, the taste will begin to acetify, and if it does, you will have to discard the tea and restart the whole process;
- When the taste is pleasant, remove the scoby from the tea, always leaving a little drink for that cellulose. By now the kombucha is ready to be consumed;
- If you do not want to taste the kombucha, put it in a bottle with the help of a funnel and store in the fridge or consume immediately. If you want to taste, go to the second fermentation.
Second Fermentation Ingredients
- 1 liter of kombucha ready
- 100 ml of water
- 35 g of fresh ginger
Method of preparation
- Beat the ginger with water in a blender. Strain and add to the kombucha;
- Put the drink in a sealed bottle for at least four days;
- Drink ice cream.
- Passion Fruit Kombucha, in Four Star Emporium
- Hibiscus, Ginger and Pink Pepper Kombucha at One Market
- Chimarrão Kombucha with Fennel at the Fermented Company
- Lemon, matcha and ginger kombucha at Muffato Gourmet
- Kombucha Citrus, in Bá Kombucha
Tip: As the ready drink can be sweeter or more acidic, you will find the right time to taste it to your taste.
Where to buy kombucha
You can find the drink in places other than health food stores, you know? You can find kombucha in large supermarket chains, restaurants, coffee shops and wholesalers.
So, did you enjoy knowing all about kombucha? Always remember to buy from producers who prepare you safely. So you can enjoy a very tasty drink that is still able to offer health benefits.
What Is Kombucha? (April 2024)
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