Friday, July 11, 2014

365 Days of Tea - Day 20: GT's Kombucha.


I've been hearing about a tea product called Kombucha for a while now, and apparently there are actual bars they sell nothing but kombucha.


Kombucha is an interesting product, and the first I've ever heard of its kind. Its a lightly fermented sweetened black tea, that's produced with bacteria and yeast. Naturally it is carbonated, and alcoholic. (According to my research it usually contains .5%, but there are some with more or less) It also contains probiotics which are bacteria that assist the stomach with digestion as well as several other functions. Though, the one issue I'm seeing with kombucha is that if the product is made in less than sanitary conditions, you can get extremely sick, or worse. The liquid itself is a little strange because it looks like there are strains of stuff in the tea, which is just the probiotics. I wont post a photograph because its extremely unpleasing to look at.

Smell - It smells like a very weak vinegar with a hint of beer. Its honestly kind of nerve-wrecking your first time experiencing it because its not often I'd want to drink something that completely overwhelms my sense of smell.

Taste - Its hard to explain, but it doesn't taste like tea in anyway shape, or form. Its more like a hard cider, or beer with a vinegar-y a follow-up. Its interesting because at first I thought it was rather foul, but I kept trying to give it a chance, and I can say now that, even though, in words it doesn't sound all the great. Its drinkable.

Overall - Although my research has concluded that you're better off getting probiotics from yogurt because its lower risk of getting sick, if you try kombucha and generally like the taste, then its pretty good for you. Be forewarned though, that a bad batch could lead to serious illness or worse. Flavor-wise, its quite strange, but can be enjoyable in small amounts.

(2 and a half out of 5 tea leaves.)

Can be found at your local healthfood store.

2 comments:

  1. Love this! You should have added that you must be 21 or over to purchase in some states ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Its strange how in some states you don't have to be.

      Delete