*KOMBUCHA FAQ*
Q. What is kombucha?
A. Kombucha is a fermented tea drink that originated thousands of years ago in China, where it was called “mushroom tea” due to the appearance of the starter scoby floating on top of the ferment. It is a refreshing sour and slightly sweet drink with a slight natural fizz, taken mainly for its cleansing properties.
Q. What is kombucha made from?
A. Kombucha is made by steeping normal tea, which can be green or black, adding sugar, and then fermenting the mixture with a kombucha SCOBY for anywhere from 5 days to 1 month. As the sweet tea ferments, the good bacteria and yeasts will feed on the sugar and caffeine and convert them into beneficial enzymes and acids.
Our kombucha uses organic cane sugar and premium green tea from Shizuoka, Japan, fair-trade black tea, and Taiwan Oolong tea.
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Q. Can you make kombucha without sugar or using non-caffeine tea?
A. Kombucha needs sugar and caffeine to grow and produce those wonderful probiotics that are so good for our gut. But fear not! The majority of the sugar and caffeine is eaten up. However, because there is always still a little bit of sugar and caffeine left, we advise diabetics and expecting mothers to exercise caution.
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Q. How much sugar and caffeine is in kombucha?
A. We make our kombucha without added sugar after the original ferment, so our flavours contain between 2-5g of sugar, far less than the 11g in Coke. The amount of caffeine left in kombucha is approximately a quarter of a normal cup of tea. For the least amount of sugar and caffeine, try our “Low Sugar Green Tea” flavour which is made with less sugar and short steeped green tea for less caffeine.
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Q. What is difference between kefir and kombucha?
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MILK KEFIR
Made from milk & kefir grains
Fermented for 24 hours
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Boosts immunity, improves digestive problems, gastric, IBS, eczema & acne
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Start with 80ml for 3 days. Drink 100-300ml daily.
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Anti-bacterial, heals yeast and candida infection
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Contains no sugar and nearly lactose-free. Suitable for diabetics
KOMBUCHA
Made from tea, sugar & kombucha scoby
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Fermented for 7 - 14 days
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Boosts immunity, helps digestion after meals, improves liver & kidney function
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Start with 100ml for 3 days. Drink 200-400ml daily
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High in antioxidants, reduces risk of heart disease
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Contains 2-5g of sugar per 100ml. Low sugar version suitable for diabetics
Q. I'm new. How much kombucha should I take?
A. For beginners we recommend to start slow – 100ml or quarter bottle before slowly increasing to half bottle daily. This is because some people experience gas, bloating or loose bowels when they first take kefir. This is known as "healing crisis" where the good bacteria kill off the bad bacteria which release toxins. Drink plenty of water to flush out the toxins and the body should adjust within a few days.
Q. When should I take kombucha?
A. You can take it anytime during the day, but it works especially well as an after meal digestive. For those sensitive to caffeine, we advise that you do not take kombucha in the evenings as it does contain a small amount of caffeine.
Note: for those with gastric or acid reflux, it is better to take small amounts of kombucha after meals as the sourness may cause some discomfort.
Q. How much kombucha should I take a day? What is the maximum amount of kombucha?
A. You can drink anywhere from 100ml to 400ml of kombucha a day. It is not recommended to exceed 400ml of kombucha daily.
Q. Can children take kombucha?
A. We do not recommend kombucha for young children as it contains some caffeine.
Q. Is kombucha suitable for pregnant or breastfeeding mothers?
A. Due to the caffeine content, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers should exercise caution when taking kombucha.
Q. Is kombucha safe for diabetics?
A. Kombucha contains some leftover sugar. Diabetes should take our Low Sugar kombucha flavor which contains only 2-3g of sugar per 100ml.
Q. Does kombucha contain alcohol?
A. Kombucha contains a negligible amount of alcohol from the beneficial yeasts (around 0.5%), which is metabolized as soon as you consume it. This is considered non-alcoholic by Food Safety standards. As we do not add sugar or second ferment with fruits, the alcohol level in our kombucha will not increase over time.
Q. What is this strange jelly floating in the kombucha?
A. Don’t panic if you find an unidentified floating object in your bottle of kombucha! Raw kombucha like ours contains living bacteria and yeast, and over time they will continue to grow and form a baby “SCOBY” (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeasts). It’s a sign that the kombucha is fresh and natural. The baby scoby is safe to eat, or you can even use it as a starter to brew your own kombucha!
Q. How long does kombucha keep?
A. Kombucha keeps well for up to 4 months in the fridge. If you do not refrigerate kombucha it will continue to ferment and get more and more sour and grow bigger scobys. It is still drinkable but we recommend to refrigerate for the freshest flavor.
Q. Can I give my dog kombucha?
A. Kombucha is made with cane sugar and contains caffeine, so it is not suitable for dogs. We recommend to give milk kefir which is very beneficial.
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