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The Myth and the
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Kombucha
The Myth and the Magic
of an Ancient Elixir
by Michelle D. Williams

Among the world's many captivating tea fables is a tale that dates back to 221 B.C. during China's Tsing Dynasty. It tells of weary soldiers trudging onto a battlefield with canteens of tea strapped to their waists. As the fighting rages on, the soldiers' tea grows cold, and fungus begins to develop in their canteens. Without reinforcements, the soldiers are forced to continue infusing the same tea leaves, even in their fermenting state. But rather than making the soldiers sick, the fermented concoction soothes their upset stomachs and re-energizes them for battle. It's almost as if the tonic, known today as "kombucha," were magic.

   "Kombucha" refers to a fungus-like substance made up of yeast and bacteria. When combined with sweetened, brewed tea and allowed to ferment, this kombucha culture produces a beverage that, for centuries, has been thought to be a healthful, detoxifying tonic. From its early use in Asia, the drinking of kombucha spread to Russia, where it was called te kvass, and then it made its way to Europe. When World War II brought about a shortage of black tea and sugar, the use of kombucha declined. By the 1950s, however, the beverage quickly re-emerged, even becoming popular among Italy's espresso-obsessed elite.

   Since then, there's been considerable debate between the people who drink kombucha and deem it the "elixir of life" and those who doubt its powers. Scientific research on the subject has been scattered at best, and until the past decade, studies were conducted mostly in Europe. But today, kombucha is finding a wider audience, including the booming tea market of the United States.

Concocting the Brew
Kombucha cultures are grown commercially and are primarily sold to people who brew the beverage in their homes. But commercial brewers, eager to jump on the trendy tea drink bandwagon, also are beginning to offer kombucha in restaurants, tea shops and upscale grocery stores. The culture is often referred to as a "mother" and is similar to the sourdough starter used for making bread. Some people also refer to the culture as a "mushroom," although the kombucha culture does not possess the same properties.

   The brewing process is fairly simple. First, tea is steeped in a stainless steel pot to make a strong brew. Sugar-refined, white is the most effective-is added, and the tea is then transferred to a large glass mixing bowl. Kombucha was traditionally made with black tea, but many people today use green teas because of their higher levels of antioxidants. In addition, green teas tend to be more stimulating to the fermentation process and, thus, yield a finished batch of kombucha quicker than black teas. Herbal blends are not recommended because the oil content of many varieties prohibits growth of the yeast and bacteria cultures.

   Once the tea has cooled, the kombucha culture mother, along with a small amount of the fermented beverage from a previous batch, is placed onto the surface of the tea in the bowl. The bowl is then covered with a clean cotton cloth and left to ferment for seven to 10 days. Fermenting for longer periods of time can increase the acidity of the brew to unhealthy levels, causing digestive disturbance and potentially upsetting the drinker's overall pH balance. During fermentation, most of the sugar and the caffeine from the tea is devoured by the yeast and bacteria cultures. The final kombucha tea is lightly carbonated, with a tangy, apple-cider flavor and a slightly acidic quality.

   Each time a batch of kombucha is made, the mother produces a "baby." This offspring can be separated from the mother and used to start a new batch. It's crucial that kombucha brewers follow each step in the process carefully, employing stringent sanitation practices. Dust particles and foreign airborne yeasts and bacteria can quickly contaminate a healthy kombucha culture, which will not only ruin the outcome of the beverage, but could pose serious health risks to drinkers. Standardized processing methods and strict sanitation policies become even more critical when kombucha is produced on a large-scale commercial level, as Michael Dorr has learned with his ready-to-drink kombucha product.

   Kombucha Wonder Drink, produced in Portland, Ore., hit the retail market just over a year ago and is now being sold nationwide in tea shops, restaurants and specialty grocery stores, such as Wild Oats, Tree of Life and Whole Foods. The company is the largest commercial manufacturer of kombucha in the U.S. A few smaller companies-Synergy in Los Angeles and Dr. Aikins, an Internet-based company-produce kombucha for regional markets in the U.S., and Red Bull is currently marketing Carpe Diem, its kombucha beverage, to European consumers. In addition, Yogi Teas has added a dry kombucha extract to one of its teas.

   "My challenge was to make kombucha palatable and consistent," says Dorr, the company's beverage craftsman. "When we started to develop our product, we looked at the traditional open-tank fermentation process and got really nervous."

   To avoid spoilage and the overproduction of malic and lactic acids, which can be harmful when consumed in large doses, Kombucha Wonder Drink developed a proprietary fermentation process using sterile, closed tanks. Dorr is excited about the opportunity to help pioneer the drinking of kombucha in America. "We want to be sure that we can make a consistent, flavorful beverage and that we can sustain it," he says. "So we'd better have our checks and balances in place." Because it has been pasteurized, Kombucha Wonder Drink has a shelf life of about one year. Nonpasteurized kombucha, according to Dorr, tends to keep for about one month refrigerated.

   While kombucha is gradually emerging in the U.S. and Kombucha Wonder Drink is still fairly new to the market, Dorr believes its uniqueness will carry sales. "Kombucha is not just another tea beverage," Dorr says. "It's carbonated, low in sugar and as old as tea itself. It's another form of tea, with added health benefits."

   At the bustling Bijou Café in downtown Portland, Ore., you'll see a bottle of Kombucha Wonder Drink on display behind the bar. It's also highlighted on the café's menu board, and an enthusiastic waiter might even suggest it to accompany your lunch. "It's becoming more popular," says Jon Murray, Bijou's kitchen manager. "The people who enjoy it really love it. I'm glad we have it as an option on our menu." The Bijou Café serves the drink in fluted stemware, with or without ice, depending on the customer's preference.

Is Kombucha an Elixir of Life?
Kombucha has been lauded as a cure-all for centuries. Its devotees claim that it diminishes wrinkles, halts balding, aids digestion, and even helps reverse the symptoms of cancer and AIDS. Dorr drinks about a gallon of kombucha every day, straight from the Kombucha Wonder Drink kegs. When he first started drinking the beverage regularly, he says he experienced several positive changes in his health. "My hair felt healthier, my fingernails grew faster and I felt a sense of well-being-which just made me more enthusiastic about it."

   A tremendous amount of anecdotal evidence on the effects of drinking kombucha can be found in books and on the Internet. Solid research on kombucha, however, is much harder to come by, and at this point, the jury is still out on whether kombucha is scientifically proven to contain healing properties.

   Many doctors, including Andrew Weil, M.D., a well-known advocate of integrative medicine, and Varro E. Tyler, an expert on herbs and plant-derived medicine, caution against the reliance on kombucha in the treatment of serious illness. "The culture can become contaminated with dangerous organisms; this would be of special concern for anyone whose immune system is suppressed," Weil writes to readers of his Website (www.drweil.com).

   In a 1999 Prevention magazine column, Tyler wrote, "When properly prepared, the beverage is probably safe to consume-at least in moderate amounts (about four ounces daily). ... [But] there has never been a controlled clinical trial with kombucha. All of the beneficial effects are based simply on hearsay."

   Scientific study is slowly beginning to emerge, however. Those who promote its benefits do so in a more generalized way, as an overall healthful tonic, rather than as a cure or remedy for a particular disease or ailment. For example, C.J. Greenwalt, a microbiologist at Cornell University, has begun deeper research on kombucha. In her 1996 report, "Review: Kombucha, the Fermented Tea," Greenwalt writes, "The prevention of pathogenic growth by the consumption of the fermented tea, kombucha, may be important in aiding immunity and illness prevention."

   In addition, Austrian physician Rosina Fasching wrote in her 1995 book, Tea Fungus Kombucha: The Natural Remedy and Its Significance in Cases of Cancer and Other Metabolic Diseases, "Because of the purifying effect of this beverage and because of its capability to destroy harmful micro-organisms, kombucha is a helpful biological 'universal remedy' against various metabolic diseases."

   Most of this research applies to traditionally brewed kombucha. Kombucha that is commercially bottled for the retail market-at least brands in the U.S.-must abide by certain health and sanitation laws, particularly regarding pasteurization. This process kills all the bacteria in the drink-including the theoretically beneficial bacteria-and many people who brew kombucha at home feel that pasteurization destroys the health benefits of kombucha altogether. Dorr, however, says that what gives kombucha its health benefits is not so much the live bacteria, but the acids produced by the bacteria, many of which are present in the finished product, even after pasteurization.

   Critical banter between manufacturers, scientists and devoted consumers is typical in an emerging market, says Brian Keating, president of Seattle-based Sage Group International, which publishes the U.S. Tea Is "Hot" Report. "There is a curtain of misunderstanding about kombucha," he says. "Manufacturers need to do everything they can to get the word out about its safety, its composition and its benefits."

   Keating believes that kombucha has tremendous market potential once manufacturers are able to overcome several obstacles. It has a quirky past within the health food industry as a traditional folk remedy, he says. "Manufacturers have to first do PR and marketing to the trade itself-many people within the tea industry don't even know what kombucha is. If you ask 10 different people to describe it, you'll get 10 slightly different answers."

   Keating also says that manufacturers must approach consumers with in-store samplings, demonstrations and educational talks so that people can become familiar with the product. And lastly, he says, "Kombucha has some health-promoting benefits, but manufacturers are not allowed to say this because of FDA regulations." He advises kombucha producers to invest in resources at universities for the study of the product, noting that many results of such studies can be used legally to promote and educate the public.

   One point on which researchers, commercial producers and quaffers agree is that kombucha is unique. It's a tea, yet it's fizzy. It energizes, yet it doesn't contain high levels of sugar or caffeine. And whether or not it can lower blood pressure, increase longevity or ward off cancer, kombucha certainly brings another intriguing choice to consumers. If you ask Keating, it will be a welcome addition to the market: "Kombucha has a very bright future as a functional tea-based beverage."

Michelle D. Williams is a freelance writer and editor and frequent contributor to Fresh Cup Magazine. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

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