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Kombucha

Japanese: コンブチャ（紅茶キノコ）

A lightly carbonated beverage made by fermenting sweetened tea with a SCOBY. It has a tart, slightly sweet flavor.

Kombucha is made by placing a gel-like SCOBY in sweetened tea and fermenting at room temperature for one to two weeks. Yeast converts sugar to alcohol, and acetic acid bacteria turn that into acetic acid, yielding a refreshing lightly carbonated drink. In Japan, it was popular in the 1970s as kocha-kinoko. It has recently surged in popularity riding the Western health food wave. It is unrelated to kelp tea. Flavor variations are abundant, with secondary fermentation adding fruits and herbs for variety. A home-brewing culture exists worldwide, with communities sharing SCOBYs.

Related words

Acetic acid bacteria (Acetobacter / Gluconobacter)

Aerobic bacteria that oxidize alcohol into acetic acid. Essential for vinegar production, they are also involved in kombucha fermentation.

SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast)

A symbiotic community of acetic acid bacteria and yeast used in kombucha fermentation. It forms a cellulose gel membrane and converts tea sugars into alcohol and organic acids.

Yeast

Single-celled fungi that convert sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Indispensable for fermented foods and beverages worldwide, including bread, beer, wine, and sake.

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