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Kombucha Madness
Brew your tea with fermented zing.
BY ARWEN O’REILLY
Kombucha is on its way to being the new “it” drink. This
fermented tea is so popular that several brands are
available at upscale grocery stores, and its Wikipedia
entry has tripled in length since I first checked. I’ve heard the
tea’s culture — which looks like a rubbery pancake — called a
“mother,” “mushroom,” “starter,” and most accurately, a “scoby”
(symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts).
Photography by Arwen O’Reilly
Whatever it is, kombucha is entering a renaissance after millennia of use in China and centuries in Eastern Europe, from whence
all good fermented things come. Its loyal following claims health
benefits of all ilk, citing vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and probiotic
microorganisms present in the tea. I just like it because it tastes
good (like a sweet-sour sparkling apple cider).
