We've all been there...seeing the words "organic" and "raw" leaves us nodding in approval. But unfortunately these claims aren't always what they seem to be. What about when it comes to sourcing your favourite fermented beverage - Kombucha? Are you an avid booch drinker, too? Have you ever wondered what the difference is between real kombucha and fake kombucha?
Here's a few sure fire ways to know if the Kombucha you're drinking is real!
Let's recap - here's five ways to know the kombucha you're drinking is real or fake.
1. It needs to be kept cold - even during delivery, and only leaves the fridge when you drink it.
2. It’s low in sugar but not free from it - authentic kombucha needs just a tiny bit of sugar to feed the live cultures and keep them healthy.
3. It contains no artificial ingredients and definitely no sweeteners - check the back of your bottle to see it doesn’t contain Stevia or Erythritol - it shouldn't!
4. It’s not pasteurised - pasteurisation kills the naturally occurring probiotics that are good for your gut. Leave a little bit of booch in the bottle, keep it somewhere warm and see if it grows a SCOBY - if it doesn't then sorry, it's not REAL!
5. It has a long fermentation process of more than two weeks. If the kombucha you're drinking has a shorter fermentation process than this, then sorry again - it's still not REAL.
What the hell is kombucha you ask?
Kombucha (pronounced "comb-boo-cha") is an effervescent, sweetened, tea-like drink manufactured by fermenting tea. The word itself is a derivative of the Japanese term meaning "kelp tea." Kombucha is brewed in a wide variety of flavours (ginger, lemon myrtle, hibiscus and vanilla are just a few of the botanicals we use) and this fermented drink has long been said to bring with it a raft health benefits ranging from aiding digestion and promoting gut health, to ridding your body of toxins, and boosting energy.
What's the fermentation process?
The real kombucha process resembles vinegar fermentation. Like vinegar, kombucha is a yeast fermentation of sugar to alcohol followed by a bacterial fermentation of alcohol and acid. The alcohol and acid content of kombucha is less than 1% and the fermentation process takes at least a few weeks to do its thing. These days how long fermenting takes depends on the temperature of the room it's brewing in.
How else can I spot real vs. fake kombucha?
Another way to tell if it is real kombucha or not, is to look inside the bottle or glass. Real kombucha will be effervescent and contain a clear or gold film-like substance (called Mother SCOBY). Fake kombucha soda lacks both.
So now you know, head on over to our store and grab a stubby of the real stuff!