Kombucha tea is known for its rejuvenating properties, and can be easily made in your own kitchen.
In ancient China, Kombucha was referred to as the ‘Immortal Health Elixir.’ And today, celebrities like Lindsay Lohan, Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna endorse Kombucha tea for its weight loss and immunity boosting properties.
Kombucha is made by adding a culture of beneficial bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) to tea, sugar, and fruit juice. This brew is apparently flush with antioxidants, Vitamin B, enzymes, probiotics and a various probiotic boosters, that restore good gut bacteria, and improve digestion.
Here are some benefits:
#1 Detoxifies Your Body
Kombucha is best known for its detoxification properties, since this contains many enzymes and bacterial acids that naturally cleanse the system. Consequentially, this benefits liver and pancreas health.
#2 Boosts Your Immunity and Health
All the ingredients in Kombucha work towards improving your overall health and immunity. This brew is said to improve the balance in your digestive system and increase your energy levels. Fans of Kombucha say it promotes self-healing.
#3 May help fight Disease
Recently it has been proven that glucaric acid, a component in Kombucha, helps prevent cancer. The tea also has glucosamines, which helps both in the prevention and treatment of arthritis. Some even credit it with curing mental conditions like depression. But, there’s no scientific proof for some of these claims.
Here’s Where You Can Find this Probiotic Beverage
In India, Kombucha made its way from Goa and Chennai (Econut, Ka Kombucha) to Mumbai and Pune (Bombucha, Bucha Bar, Zen Tiger) in the last two years.
You can finally find Kombucha in Delhi now. Get yourself some at Greenr in Shahpur Jat or Fab Cafe in Vasant Kunj. You can even get it delivered to your doorstep from the Auroville website.
How You Can Make Your Own
What you need
A large glass jar
4 litres of brewed tea (black or green sweetened tea)
SCOBY (easily available through online retailers)
1 cup of liquid from a previous batch of Kombucha
A Thin cloth
A Rubber band
Recipe
- The first step is to prepare the sweet tea. Use 8-10 tea bags for this purpose along with 1 cup of sugar or sweetener of your choice.
- Once your tea cools down to room temperature, pour it into a glass jar. Mix in the previous batch of (or store bought) Kombucha.
- Add the SCOBY to the top of the jar.
- Cover the jar tightly and store in a warm corner. Make sure it is away from any other fermentation products.
- Allow it to ferment for 7-10 days.
- Once fermented you can customise it by adding different fruits and flavours.
- Pour the Kombucha into airtight containers to ready to drink.