Kombucha is an unconventional drink made, essentially, by allowing sweet tea to ferment, but any Kombucha lover knows the health benefits it offers! Kombucha has gained much popularity in recent years, but if you are new to the world of Kombucha, you are likely quite confused. Fret not! This blog is dedicated to teaching you everything you need to know about this curious beverage! Today’s post discusses the Kombucha SCOBY – a rather gross-looking pellicle that forms at the top of Kombucha bottles and has much more to offer than its looks suggest.
SCOBY stands for ‘Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast.’ It is also called a Kombucha mushroom, Kombucha mother, or Kombucha starter – and is used to brew Kombucha, as these names suggest, but can also be eaten or used to give your snacks a probiotic boost!
People have been brewing Kombucha for thousands of years, passing on the knowledge down generations. Kombucha SCOBY is believed to have originated in Northeast China, from where it was taken to Japan by a Korean Physician as a helpful remedy for Emperor Inkyo. The drink eventually came to Europe in the early twentieth century due to colonial expansion. Today, this ancient tea has become a popular beverage – easily available in health food stores around the world
How a SCOBY Works?
If you have been Googling what a SCOBY is, you have probably come across images of an unsettling, rubbery disk that doesn’t look like something you’d want in your drink! But once you understand how a SCOBY works, you will have a newfound appreciation for all aspects of it, even the appearance.
Kombucha is brewed via a fermentation process, during which the SCOBY’s bacteria and yeast work together symbiotically – hence the acronym – to convert sweet tea to Kombucha. The yeast eats the sugar in the tea and converts it to ethanol. The bacteria feed on this ethanol and turn it into an acidic substance that gives Kombucha its unique flavor. The bacteria also eat some of the sugar and convert it to cellulose, which builds up at the top of the drink and forms another SCOBY!
How to Brew Kombucha with a SCOBY
Some people also prefer to buy pre-made SCOBYs to brew Kombucha. This is alright, but it is quite easy to grow your own SCOBY using the above process, through which a SCOBY usually forms within 1 to 4 weeks.
You can use this SCOBY to brew another batch of Kombucha. All you have to do is mix tea, sugar, and a bit of leftover Kombucha; then add your SCOBY to the mix. You can also use pre-made Kombucha if you don’t have any left over, or borrow some from a friend! The SCOBY kick-starts the fermentation process in this mixture and seals it to prevent contamination.
Alternate Uses for a SCOBY
Not only are SCOBYs fully edible, but they also contain loads of health benefits just like Kombucha itself! It is perfectly fine to just pick up a SCOBY and take a bite; it feels a bit like a chewy gummy bear. If you don’t like the taste, you can instead try incorporating it into a tasty snack; SCOBYs can be made into candy, smoothies, or even jerky!
These are all great ways to use up leftover SCOBYs that you won’t be using to brew more Kombucha, or extra ones you happen to have and don’t need. Extra SCOBYs can also be safely stored into a SCOBY hotel, which is made using a mason jar and more Kombucha!
Brewing your own homemade Kombucha is a fun and rewarding experience that you and your family can immensely enjoy on a weekend. Brewing something like Kombucha SCOBY will not only bring you in contact with real and natural ingredients, but also closer to nature. It can both be used as a flavorful refreshing drink and a healthy concoction for improving digestion, metabolism, liver function, and the overall immune system.
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