Everything you need to know about kombucha

It is thought that kombucha was first made in China, which makes sense due to the base of the recipe being tea, a prevalent Chinese beverage. The first recipes are believed to date back as far as 221BC, the beginning of China’s Qin dynasty when they referred to it as the tea of immortality, believing it to be so. The silk road helped introduce the drink to the rest of the world and to date it is still very common in China, as well as Korea, Germany, Eastern Europe and some parts of rural Russia.

Throughout history there have been investigations into the potential alcohol levels, as well as the safety of the bacteria present within the beverage, but now kombucha is seen as a healthy product as there is greater awareness of probiotics, plus the health benefits of fermented foods.

Essentially kombucha is a fermented and sweetened black or green tea. The sweetness can be from anything sweet, so of course sugar but also honey or agave for instance.

The recipe for kombucha can differ but normally it involves a double fermentation process using a “scoby” (a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). The scoby is put into a sweetened tea and left to ferment at room temperature between one and three weeks. After this it is bottled for between one and two weeks, whereby CO2 is released and produces carbonation.

Once that process is complete the bottled kombucha is refrigerated to slow down the carbonation and fermentation processes. If the process is not followed correctly during the second fermentation cycle, alcohol can become present.

Kombucha is said to contain similar properties as green tea that help protect against type 2 diabetes by lowering the blood sugar response to high glycaemic index meals. It is also thought to protect against cancer by preventing the growth and spread of cancerous cells, likely down to kombucha’s high concentration of tea polyphenols and antioxidants.

It is rich in probiotics, such as species of lactic acid bacteria, that can benefit your gut microbiome and aid digestion, reduce inflammation and even promote weight loss. The fermented drink can also kill bad bacteria, especially infection-causing bacteria like E coli and Salmonella typhi, and contains polyphenols which are powerful antioxidants in the body.

It is said the drink (particularly if the base is green tea) can have antioxidant effects on your liver. Kombucha is even believed to have heart-protecting qualities—studies in rats demonstrated that kombucha can greatly improve two markers of heart disease, the undesirable LDL and desirable HDL cholesterol, within a month. 

As kombucha typically has a low caffeine content due to most of the caffeine from the tea being used up during the fermentation process, it is ideal if you are after a boost but without the potentially nasty side-effects of too much caffeine. Low caffeine content also means it is a great natural energy booster in the evening when coffee, say, would be too strong.

Kombucha works really well as a mixer for cocktails and mocktails, a great alternative to otherwise sugary or artificial sodas and cordials, with health benefits too. If you want to impress at a dinner party with a few courses, various flavoured kombucha as an alternative to wine makes for an interesting pairing addition.  

The name kombucha is thought to probably be the misapplication of Japanese kombucha—kobucha is tea made from kelp deriving from kobu, konbu meaning kelp, and cha meaning tea.

Another school of thought is that Dr Kombu is responsible for the name. He was allegedly a Korean doctor that brought the fermented drink method from China to Japan.

Dried kombucha—to be exact, dried scoby—can be made into wearable clothes! The dried scoby forms a textile called microbial cellulose which feels rather like well-worn leather.

Kombucha even has its own World Kombucha Awards, a global competition that aims to create greater consumer awareness about different kombucha flavour profiles while promoting international brewing excellence and providing valuable information to brewers. 

If you make kombucha at home you can give a part of your scoby to a friend so they can make kombucha—it is the gift that keeps on giving.

Leaving your kombucha in the fridge too long can be dangerous as a few people have taken to TikTok videos and newspapers to share. Morgan Bailey in February 2024 went on TikTok with her arm in a cast after her kombucha exploded in her hands after leaving it there for three months; she said, “Get some oven mitts and, I don’t know, maybe some protective eye goggles. It will blow up.”