It is a beautiful bubbly drink that is increasingly found in grocery stores and restaurants in France and elsewhere: kombucha is a cold, flavorful, slightly acidic and sparkling tea, which makes it ideal during hot summer temperatures. Like kefir, kombucha is made from fermentation an ingredient for the less original: a mushroom. Some people attribute medicinal virtues to kombucha, but no scientific study has yet confirmed it. However, it would be a shame to do without its good taste. So here’s how to get started making kombucha.
To make homemade kombucha, you must first acquire a “mother kombucha” (similar to a “vinegar mother”). They are simply bacteria and yeast that, when grown together, turn into a slime mold. You can ask someone close to you to offer you a piece of their own culture or buy it commercially, especially in organic grocery stores and supermarkets.
Once you’ve collected your kombucha mother, here’s what you’ll also need to make your new favorite drink:
- 4 tea bags (green or black)
- 1 liter of water
- 1 liter of cold water
- 100 grams of organic cane sugar
- 100 grams of fruit, juice, herbs of your choice
- 250 ml ready-to-drink kombucha
- several 1 L glass bottles (with a pressure-resistant bottle-type lid for storing beer or lemonade)
- 1 glass container of 4 l (jar type)
- several fine mesh fabrics
- 1 rubber band
- a wooden spoon (not stainless steel)
- 1 strainer (silicone or plastic)
For the rest, watch this playful video of the little manold: