Quick! what does SCOBY stand for? Ok, just checking that you read up on your terms from part 1 of our kombucha brewing instructions mini course.

What Is Kombucha?

Today we will discuss What Is Kombucha and answer the questions What Is Kombucha Tea Good For and What Are Some Uses of Kombucha. We will also go into a little later in the course what kombucha is made of, but first let’s get into a little kombucha history.

What is the History of the Kombucha Mushroom Culture?

So how did this wonderful ugly looking jelly type pancake thing-a-magij come to be?

Kombucha Story Time – An old country doctor from the Alexandrov district near Moscow noticed his peasant patients had no cancer. The doctor, wondering about this, started looking around… and discovered this: That to save money on tea the muzhiks of that locality brewed not tea, but chaga, otherwise known as the birch-tree mushroom.

Actually, it’s not even a birch-tree mushroom, but a birch-tree cancer … a sort of ugly growth on old birch trees. (confused yet?).

It is dome-shaped, black on the outside and dark brown inside. It occurred to doctor Maslennikov that this tea made from the birch tree mushroom could be the magic remedy the Russian peasants, without realizing it, had been using to cure themselves of cancer for hundreds of years.

“So it started in Russia, great let’s move on”… well not so fast!

You see Chaga is not Kombucha! It is just to point out that peeps have been fermenting stuff and enjoying almost miraculous benefits for years, and in many different forms (think sour kraut, pickles, or even the ginger you get at your favorite sushi spot).

How Long Has Kombucha Been Around?

Often it is said, that the Kombucha fungus had already been used 2000 years ago in China. It is also said to have existed for a long time now in Japan and Korea. Particularly in China it was the Grandmother who kept a jar of it on hand at all times and was responsible for the preparation of the tea.

When a daughter in the family got married and moved out to live with her husband (remember there were nucleus families back then where everyone lived together till they got married, and even then they might have continued to live together… side note: don’t tell my mom about that or she’ll expect the same of me!).

The Kombucha culture was passed down to the granddaughter to provide health and longevity to her family. Sort of like a family heir loom. Ha can you imagine getting that instead of a diamond ring?! 

What is Kombucha Tea Made Of?

Below is a complete breakdown of what is found in Kombucha tea and a quick associated beneficial function of that ingredient. Kombucha Benefits will be discussed in depth in our course tomorrow.

Remember this is the finished product of the kombucha tea that has been fermented with a kombucha culture for about 10 days, and not just the kombucha culture itself.

We will do another class in the future to discuss what is a kombucha culture make of.

This is a truer representation, as usually it is the kombucha tea that is consumed by the individual and not the SCOBY (though some do ingest the SCOBY, it is rare and requires a special technique that we can also talk about later, as I know many people have asked me what is the kombucha mushroom good for).

• LACTIC ACID: Found in Kombucha in its most potent form L-lactic(+). Lactic acid is essential for the digestive system.

• ACETIC ACID: Its main function is to inhibit harmful bacteria. Acetic acid is used as a preservative because of this action. It is also what gives Kombucha that ‘kick’ to its smell and taste.

• MALIC ACID: Is also used in the body’s detoxification process.

• OXALIC ACID: Encourages the cellular production of energy and is a natural preservative.

• GLUCONIC ACID: Is effective against many yeast infections such as Candida and thrush.

• BUTYRIC ACID: Is produced by the yeasts and when working with gluconic acid, might help combat yeast infections such as Candida.

• NUCLEIC ACID: Work with the body aiding healthy cell regeneration.

• AMINO ACID: A group of acids which are the building blocks of protein. Your muscular system is made of proteins.

• ENZYMES: Are proteins that act as catalysts, speeding the rate at which biochemical reactions proceed.

Kombucha also contains Vitamin Groups B and C, Beneficial Yeasts and LIVING Bacteria (you know like the stuff in yogurt).

What Is Kombucha Good For?