Kombucha

It’s difficult to say Kombucha, never mind know what it is.  I only heard about it a year or so ago while researching teas online.  Since then I have tasted it, read about it and now finally, I have a brewing kit to make some of my own!  As I’ll be posting pictures of my brewing process and its (hopefully) successes, I thought it might be useful to do a blog post about it, so that people can see my pics then read up about it too.

So, Kombucha is a fermented drink, made up of tea.  It is usually black or green tea used and the tea is fermented using bacteria and yeast (aka SCOBY).  Kombucha is claimed to have many health benefits such as aiding digestion, detoxification, joint care and boosting your immune system, however there is little scientific evidence for this.  While it is considered generally safe, there have also been some concerns.

It seems to have been present in many cultures for centuries, such as Russia and Japan and according to Wikipedia, Kombucha was popular in China in the 50s & 60s with many people making it at home.  It has recently seen a surge in Western culture as more people start to learn about it and brew it at home.

So, keep an eye out for my Kombucha updates both here and on the Facebook and twitter pages.  Here’s a picture below of my brewing kit, right out of the box (I love that it has a colourful muslin cloth with it!).  I hope that you enjoy reading about some more tea adventures!

Kombucha kit

Masala Chai….the love affair begins

I really noticed the variety of tea when travelling around India and every time we stopped we sat and had some chai served in small silver cups (and suspiciously like small milk jugs usually used in catering).  I was instantly taken by the flavour, the warmth and the social aspects that came with sitting and enjoying a cup of chai.  I was hooked!  I can now only enjoy it at home, as the majority of places don’t make chai the traditional way.  I’ve only found one wee local place that makes it just perfectly.  If you’re ever in Glasgow, Scotland then I recommend a visit to Tchai Ovna.  A tea lovers must.  It has a bohemian feel to it, so it’s not everyone’s cup of tea 🙂  however, it does have an extensive tea list and they actually prepare the tea properly.