So kombucha, what do we all think of it?
(mellow music) Well, "The Onion,"
a satirical newspaper ran this headline recently:
"Tom Brady Awakens From Week-long Kombucha Bender
To Discover He's A Tampa Bay Buccaneer."
And then the queen herself, Sansa Stark,
from "Game of Thrones,"
dissed it even harder with this zinger.
"All these people that are hating on you
are probably sitting at home millennials drinking kombucha".
Wow, here we have poor little kombucha
being branded the liquor of choice
for the Peter Pan of the NFL, Tom Brady,
while also being associated with lonely teenagers
sitting in their bedrooms.
So we gotta ask a question,
is kombucha on the way out
or does it still reign supreme
as the most popular probiotic beverage in America?
(lively music)
Well, our research team did a bit of digging
and guess what?
Kombucha sales are actually
on track to reach nearly five billion dollars this year,
making it one of the fastest-growing
functional beverage products.
So with the news that kombucha
is still a favorite fermented beverage
for millions of people,
myself and our research team
decided to see what all the fuss is about
and take you on a journey into the world of kombucha.
Let's go. (air whooshes)
So, at its simplest, kombucha is just fermented tea.
And I know at first that doesn't sound right
since most of us probably think of it as more of a soda
but as we'll look at in a minute,
it is actually made from an ancient brewing tradition
that has likely been done for over 2000 years.
(air whooshes)
Some people think it tastes like vinegar.
Others say it's more like tasting a fizzy tea.
There are just so many different opinions on it.
In fact, when we were searching for people's description
of the taste
we even came across another "Game of Thrones" actor
talking about kombucha.
(laughs)
So bear with me for a few more seconds
while we stay in the world of Westeros.
(air whooshes)
You see the actress, Lena Headey,
who famously portrayed the brutal Cersei Lannister
recently had this to say about the taste of kombucha.
And imagine I'm talking in a British accent
'cause I just don't do accents well.
Quote: "I usually bring along a bottle of kombucha
thinking this will be really good for me,
but I never actually drink it.
The fermented mushroom-y flavor is too intense for me."
Unquote. (air whooshes)
Unfortunately, this description of the taste
is off the mark
because while the SCOBY used to ferment kombucha,
you know, this weird jellyfish-looking thing
that floats inside
is sometimes referred to as a tea mushroom.
The actual flavor produced in the drink itself
never comes out tasting like mushroom.
(air whooshes)
In fact, I have some freshly brewed kombucha right here.
I made it myself and I haven't added any flavors to it.
I'll do a quick taste test for you.
(mellow music)
It tastes like a tangy sparkling cider.
There's hints of sweetness, big sour notes,
as well as just a little bit of bubbles.
(liquid bubbling)
Meaning there's a nice balance
and exactly what a correctly-brewed kombucha
should taste like. (air whooshes)
Now, admittedly, kombucha can take some time to get used to
for example, here is the meme star herself,
the Kombucha Girl,
taking her first sip of kombucha.
"It really smells like a public restroom".
(laughs)
"It smells like a public restroom!
You know what?"
(upbeat music)
Hmm. Now that's one way to describe it.
Thankfully though, it is possible to flavor kombucha
during the second fermentation,
you can use fruits, herbs, spices, whatever you like.
And not long after Kombucha Girl
likened the drink to a public bathroom.
She tried some of GT Dave's kombucha
and let's see what she thought then.
(air whooshes)
(upbeat music) - This smells excellent.
- Okay. Good. - Excellenté.
(upbeat music)
Oh, that's good.
Hold up.
Hold up!
Wait, I like that. (audience cheers)
So the way kombucha's made is pretty simple.
First, you brew some black or green tea.
Or if you wanna up your game,
you can always do a mix of black and green tea.
Interestingly, this mixed approach
is the one most big kombucha makers, like GT's, favor.
Anyways, once you've got all your tea all ready,
you mix in some sugar,
remove the tea bags or leaves
and let it cool down.
Once it's at room temperature,
you add in a SCOBY,
as well as some kombucha from a previous batch.
And now all you need to do is cover it
with a breathable cloth
and let it ferment away at room temperature.
Your kombucha should be ready to drink in one to two weeks.
It's not as fast as making kefir,
which typically is around 24 hours,
but not as slow as making other fermented foods
like apple cider vinegar,
which can be more like four weeks.
By the way,
if you are a bit of a fermentation freak like me
and wanna see how kombucha compares
to other fermented foods like kefir,
kimchi, and sauerkraut,
then check out our Fermented Foods Compared Tool,
linked in the description below.
I think you'll love this tool
because you can finally work out
whether kombucha is really good for you,
see exactly how kombucha stacks up against
other fermented foods,
in terms of health benefits and probiotic content.
Plus, you can learn our quick and simple way
to make kombucha at home. (air whooshes)
Looking into the history books,
we had to laugh when we read
kombucha is thought to have first originated in China.
I mean, it is a tea-based product
and the Ancient Chinese pretty much invented
everything from paper to alcohol.
And they loved to ferment things.
There's even a fun fact.
They even invented sauerkraut.
So yeah, we can pretty confidently add kombucha to the list.
(air whooshes)
In fact, some historical records suggest
it was first created around 2000 years ago
in Northern China.
We even read stories about how it was prized
by the Emperor of China
for its apparent detoxifying benefits
and not long after,
it became known as the elixir of life or tea of immortality.
(air whooshes)
But let's be honest, given there's no kombucha Bible,
these are just fun stories
and probably best reserved for the marketing departments
of the billion dollar kombucha brands.
Now, with that said,
the kombucha we enjoy today in the US
is far departed
from the way it would've been made 2000 years ago.
Indeed, thanks to our hipster friends
like GT Dave himself,
we now enjoy much bolder and innovative kombuchas.
They're tastier, they're fizzier,
and they're just more fun.
(air whooshes)
While companies selling kombucha will tell you
there are 101 ways to enjoy it,
from adding it to salad dressings,
to marinating meat with it,
let me save you some disastrous home experiments.
You see, kombucha is simply not acidic enough
for definitely these sort of things we just talked about.
Yes, it might have up to 0.5 to 1% acetic acid,
but that is a long way shy
of the acid content you'll find in, say,
apple cider vinegar.
So when it comes to consuming kombucha,
it's best to concentrate on enjoying it
as a refreshing drink,
a great low sugar alternative to soda.
(air whooshes)
The main thing to watch out for when drinking kombucha
is the potential alcohol content.
You see, while most commercial kombuchas
will have less than 0.5% alcohol,
the same can't be said about home-brewed kombucha,
which normally have between 1 to 3% alcohol.
(laughs) Hello, light beer. (laughs)
The other big thing to consider is that
kombucha can contain considerable amount
of residual sugar,
being the sugar that is left over after the brewing process.
If you're drinking commercial kombucha,
be sure to check the label
and look for brands that contain less than one gram of sugar
per one fluid ounce or 30 mil.
(air whooshes)
And if you're really concerned about sugar,
try a sugar-free kombucha like Humm Zero or Remedy.
They're interesting,
as a brewing process removes the sugar,
but adds in flavorings like monk fruit, stevia, et cetera.
So it really depends on what you think is best
for your body.
They're are other issues to consider when deciding
whether to drink kombucha,
such as FODMAP and histamine intolerances.
And so, if you wanna dive deeper into the potential issues
check out our Fermented Foods Compared Tool.
Or if you're really keen,
watch our "Kombucha Dangers" video.
The link to both of these resources
are on the description below.
(air whooshes)
Now, while GT Dave apparently likes to drink
up to two gallons or nine liters of kombucha a day,
which makes me think he must be made up of 80% kombucha,
the CDC recommends you limit your serving size
to 4 to 12 ounces or 120 to 360 mls a day.
It is worth noting that this recommendation
was arguably borne out of incomplete research
and handed down during the time when
several home-brewing mishaps occurred, back in the 1990s.
It is also not a regulated or enforced limit either.
In fact, if you look at most commercial kombucha drinks,
they come in 12 or 16 ounces,
or around 360 to 500 mls bottles.
So take it as a conservative guidance.
With that said, if you have IBS or FODMAP intolerances,
it can be worth sticking to a low daily serving size,
around the four to six ounces or 120 to 180 mils per day.
If you're going to buy kombucha from the store,
you need to study the label
like a fermented-cray Sherlock Holmes.
The big questions to ask: is it unpasteurized?
Is it unfiltered?
Does it use organic ingredients?
How much sugar does it contain?
Are there any extra flavorings added,
and how healthy are they?
And lastly, what probiotics does it contain?
And just as importantly, how many?
(air whooshes)
Now, if you don't have time to go to your local store
with an Excel spreadsheet in hand
to compare all the brands,
you know, because you're a normal person,
you're in luck
because our crazy research team
has actually done this for you.
And you can check out our fascinating findings
on which brands are best,
by heading to our free Kombucha Brands Comparison Tool.
(air whooshes)
And the link to that is in the description below.
(air whooshes)
Now we wanna hear from you.
Have you tried kombucha and enjoyed it?
And if you bought it, which brands did you go with and why?
(air whooshes)
And if you enjoyed this video,
as part of our fermented food series,
I'd love for you to join our Essential Stacks community,
by clicking the subscribe button below.
We researched the most important ways
you can improve your digestive health,
so you can love your gut again.
Bye for now.
(lively music)