Kombucha – our beloved mother culture! Kombucha is fermented tea. Its name, Japanese in origin, is a term of convenience. Whereas many of the old names for Kombucha refer to the bacteria such as “Kombucha mushroom” or “Mushroom of Long Life,” we theorize that the word Kombucha is actually a term of convenience that refers to the yeast. Specifically Kombu is a type of brown Japanese seaweed. Looking at the top of the culture, we can see the similarity to a mushroom cap just as if you look at the strands of yeast hanging off the culture, they might look like seaweed floating in liquid. “Cha” means tea in Chinese, Japanese and even Hindu (chai) so Kombu-cha or “seaweed tea.” However, Kombucha contains neither mushrooms nor seaweed just like kefir grains are not made from grain.
The true origin of Kombucha is the stuff of legends. We may never know exactly where or when the first culture emerged. Or who decided to give the tangy liquid a taste. Some speculate it was a gift to the human race from aliens but our research shows it might simply be the product of insects leaving bacteria in cups of sweet tea. Regardless, it has been popular as a folk remedy for hundreds of years (maybe thousands!).
If you haven’t heard of Kombucha yet, you probably don’t know about its raw honey loving cousin JUN either. Kombucha and JUN are both tea ferments that create “mother” cultures from Acetobacter and a variety of yeast strains. Since honey is a sweeter nutrient source, JUN prefers slightly lower temperatures and brews just a little faster than Kombucha, and both beverages can be flavored with all kinds of options. JUN tends to reproduce less consistently than Kombucha and has a lighter flavor.
Want to know more? Here’s a quick FAQ about each of them!
