Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe

A wonderful friend of ours gave us a bottle of Kombucha Tea to experience so I brought it out at Movie Night. When you bill an evening at your home as “Mind Expanding,”  I feel like you should deliver. I opened the bottle and immediately smelled the sediment filled liquid. It is  my thing…I am a smeller. I consume first with my eyes and then with my nose.  I was scared. It smells bad. I made a face that was visible to all. At that point I knew I had to serve it in champagne glasses to make up for the face. We told everyone it was Kombucha Tea, but left out the living yeast /fungus thing until they had swallowed their first gulp.

So what is it? According to the Mayo Clinic:

Kombucha is a colony of bacteria and yeast. Kombucha tea is made by adding the colony to sugar and black or green tea and allowing the mix to ferment. The resulting liquid contains vinegar, B vitamins and a number of other chemical compounds. Kombucha tea is commonly prepared by taking a starter sample from an existing culture and growing a new colony in a fresh jar. Health benefits attributed to Kombucha tea include stimulating the immune system, preventing cancer, and improving digestion and liver function.

Kombucha is also referred to as a SCOBY: Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. Kombucha sounds much sexier to me too.

The Pear Mint variety we tried (pictured above)was from Unity Vibration Kombucha Tea. It was very tasty and had a fresh flavor.  It is effervescent like a hard cider which creates a nice mouth feel, but you would not want to shake it or add it to your smoothie maker, lest it redecorate your kitchen. So far I have read nearly as  many positive claims  as negative about Kombucha  consumption. I am very intrigued by it and am willing to consider giving it a secure spot in our vegan fridge. As with anything new, I plan to keep seeking information while remaining open to what I may find.

If you are the keeper of such information…Please share your Kombucha insight.

Have  a delicious weekend and try something new.

*SCOBY information from: The Happy Herbalist

Tags: buy local, compassionate eating, dairy free, going veg, Kombucha, Kombucha Tea, SCOBY, trying vegan, trying vegetarian, Unity Vibration Kombucha tea, vegan, vegan challenge, vegan experience, vegan products, vegan wannabe