Kombucha: the natural “soft drink” of the moment –

(Ermani Mesquita/)

Neither seaweed nor mushroom. The main ingredient behind the fit drink that was popular with celebrities and requested by musicians in the Lollapalooza 2017 dressing room is a colony of bacteria and yeasts with probiotic potential – therefore beneficial to the intestine and, consequently, to the immune system.

They ferment a mixture of tea (mate, green or hibiscus) and sugar that, at the end of the process, can be flavored with fruit juice (passion fruit, mango) and ginger. The result is the kombucha – a refreshing drink, with an acidic taste and naturally carbonated.

Read more: This drink helps burn fat, reduce blood sugar and control blood pressure

Success in the United States since the 1990s, kombucha has barely started to be produced here and has already gained a good number of fans. However, because it is handcrafted and by a still small number of brands, there are few points of sale: some yoga studios, one or two health food stores and restaurants with a healthy footprint.

But, if you have access to the “scoby” (acronym given to the colony of bacteria, from the English expression symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast), usually passed on through the donation system, you can prepare your own kombucha at home.

Do it yourself:

Put the scoby, 100 milliliters of the starter (tea reserved from the previous preparation, which usually comes with the donated cologne), the chosen tea (1 liter) and sugar (100 grams) in a glass pot. Cover with a piece of paper towel (or a fabric that allows bacteria to breathe and reproduce) and secure with an elastic band. Depending on the ambient temperature, between five and eight days the drink is ready for the second fermentation phase.

Remove the scoby and add to the liquid about half a liter of fresh fruit juice (passion fruit, lemon, mango, acerola) and strained ginger juice (or other spice of your choice). Divide the contents into bottles and close tightly to start the carbonation process. Wait three days and refrigerate. There, the kombucha is ready to be opened and consumed!