What is kombucha?

Kombucha is a fizzy, fermented tea with a tangy little kick. Think cider, but made of tea leaves rather than apples. It usually starts life as black tea mixed with a bit of sugar, but “kombucha” has become a handy term for all sorts of probiotic brews made with the same clever culture, known as a SCOBY.

A SCOBY (that’s Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast, if you fancy the long version) is a living community of helpful microbes. It’s mostly made up of acetic-acid bacteria, plus a supporting cast of yeasts such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces pombe and/or Brettanomyces bruxellensis, or others. Once the first fermentation has done its thing, you can add fruits, herbs or other tasty bits to shape the final flavour or top up with extra good-for-you stuff.

Based on: kombuchabrewers.org

A glass of pale yellow juice with bubbles, placed near yellow black-eyed Susan flowers with dark centers and green blurred background.