Manchurian mushroom!

Hi Thook..............

I drink Yogi brand Kombucha green tea every day............good stuff!    http://www.yogitea.com/GreenTeas/GreenT … ea_ID=HF26

I have never taken Kombucha in its pure form by itself, although I have heard of its healing properties, which is why I drink the Yogi tea.    I can't tell though if the energy I get from tea comes from the green tea, or the actual Kombucha.     

So.....what does pure Kombucha taste like?  Is it palatable?

Hello Lyra! I am borrowing Palulukon's computer. Mine is down, again.Thanks for replying. As I have mentioned mucho timo beef-oro, I work at a nutrition store. We happen to sell the tea you're reefering to. What to do you think of it? Is it worth recommending to someone who has no access to a live kombucha culture? I really don't know how they can take kombucha and put it in a tea bag considering what 'kombucha' is and how it is made. Nothing against the Yogi tea. If it works it works. If you are not aware of it, the kombucha traditionally made is from the fermentation process of the 'kombucha' culture, which is a specific kind of lichen, submerged in naturally sweetened black tea, green tea, etc. Any kind of natural sweetener can be used (as far as I know) so long as the yeasts in the brew can feed on it. I like to use turbinado. The result, when done correctly, it is a somewhat bubbly and sweet, almost apple cider vinegar like tasting beverage/tonic full of live organisms highly beneficial to the ol' bio. What kind of tea you use to make it with and how sweet and/or vinegary is entirely personal, but the fermentation process is the same. The longer you ferment, the stronger and more vinegary it gets. I love the stuff. Very palatable. We are hooked! We've even come to prefer it over sodas when we want something yummy to drink for kicks. And you DEFINITELY get energy from kombucha. At the same time it is quite relaxing and refreshing. Kinda like a good, cold beer after a long, hot day type relaxing. I happen to prefer using green tea to make it as well. If I had some extra cultures I would just send you a couple to try it yo-self. But I only have two at the moment.

I love my lichen! Should be a bumper sticker! ;.)

Hi all,

This is my first post. Like Thook, I say yes and yes again to Kombucha!. It is a very inexpensive way of having a fantastic health drink in the house. I prefer it slightly vinegary, with a kick, like some dry white wines. I have been taking it on and off,  for the past two years and the results are very good for me. The most noticeable effect being a balancing of the yeast content in my body. I used to have problems with Candida and PMS. Not any more thankfully. And my energy levels are great now. Even my 12 year old will take it when I manage to produce a brew that tastes like apple juice.

I bought a brewing kit after managing with my own equipment for the first year. I find the brewing kit very handy and simple to use. I am based in the UK, but if you are interested in gettting the kit, along with containers for bottling your precious brew and a booklet with full and clear instructions with pictures, check out this site.

http://www.kombuchatea.co.uk/where-can- … mbucha.asp

If you just want the culture. The following site is set up to do just that, and it covers most of the globe: http://www.kombu.de/suche2.htm

Strictly speaking Kombucha is not a lichen, or fungus, or mushroom as some have described it. It looks like a mixture of all three.  From the booklet I got with my kit it is described thus:

Its a "symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast" "SCOBY". It is a pale rubbery textured, jellyfish like pancake that is made of bacteria, yeast, and other micro-organisms..

One of the most fascinating things about the culture is that it reproduces each time you brew a new batch of Kombucha tea.

When the brewing time has finished you are left with a new 'baby' culture on the top of your brew. These babies normally need to be kept with their 'mother' for at least  one more brew before they can be used alone.

You can give 'babies' away to firends once they are old enough to brew on their own. Also older cultures will die and need to be replaced by new ones.

I mulch my older cultures into compost for the garden or potted plants.

I was skeptical at first, but I have to say this is one of best discoveries I have come across, and my vitamin supplement use is almost nil as a result of the myriad of health supporting properties in Kombucha.

Thank you montalk; its nice to be here,

mimi