Kombucha
Kombucha
A traditional fermented tea that is lightly effervescent, refreshing, delicious and has wonderful health benefits.....
It has become a tradition in our house to sup on a wine glass of beautiful, cold, amber-coloured kombucha every evening before dinner. More refreshing than wine, and all the benefits of cider vinegar prior to a meal, without the lip-pucker!
Origins
Kombucha (say: com-boo-cha) is known as The Tea of Immortality in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It has also been referred to as: Manchurian Tea, Kargasok Tea, and Tea Fungus! Its' recorded history began in Russia in the early 19th Century. The name kombucha is a Japanese word that literally translates as "kelp tea" (kombu cha). It seems Kombucha almost certainly originated in China (makes sense when you think of tea) and there are references to the Tea of Immortality in 221BC, during the Tsin Dynasty. From there it has spread to Japan, Russia and Eastern Europe, where it has been consumed for centuries - part of the charm of drinking this beverage is knowing that the SCOBY I am using must be descended from these origins - love it!