july, 2019 | The Health
Nutrition
The rise of
kombucha in Asia
The healthy drink made from tea
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tea. When you place a SCOBY into the prepared tea, it
begins to consume the sugars and form another SCOBY,
often referred to as a baby.
Slightly alcoholic
It sounds like the process of making alcohol. Does it
contain alcohol? Like other fermented foods, kombu-
cha does contain some alcohol as a by-product of the
fermentation process. The alcohol content of kombucha
is generally considered very low by most standards,
especially when traditional brewing practices are kept.
What does Kombucha do for my body?
There is mounting evidence that the combination of
organic acids, polyphenols, enzymes, and probiotics
in kombucha may promote a healthy digestive system
and soothe an upset stomach. Probiotics, sometimes
referred to as “good gut bacteria”, can help deter or
provide relief from problems like IBS, diarrhoea, and
constipation.
A healthy human body has three to five pounds of
beneficial bacteria and microbes (called the "microbi-
ome"), but the microbiome can be depleted by stress,
alcohol use, antibiotics, and other harmful organisms.
By drinking the fermented beverage kombucha, you
may be able to help replenish lost gut bacteria.
A study in diabetic rats found that kombucha slowed
down the digestion of carbs, which reduced blood sugar
levels. It also improved liver and kidney function.
Kombucha made from green tea is likely to be even
more beneficial, as green tea itself has been shown to
reduce blood sugar levels. (To balance out that bubble
tea sugars!)
Feeling adventurous?
The scoby looks like a disk that grows inside the jar.
T
here is currently a bubble tea explosion
in Malaysia, yet the popular drink has
been known to be packed with sugar and
calories. Therefore it is far from being
health. There is another type of drink that
not a lot of us might know about, it’s called
kombucha – and it has nutritional values far superior
than your regular famed bubble tea.
Kombucha is a drink created through the process
of fermenting SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria
and yeast).
Wait, bacteria?
Who or what is SCOBY?
How kombucha is typically made, in a jar sealed
and tied with a cloth.
In the last couple of
years, we have seen a
bloom of local kombucha
producers hopping
on to the trend. Such
is Wonderbrew. Their
vibrant labelled bottles
are kombucha teas
brewed with refreshing
ingredients such as beet
root, mint, and passion
fruit. Over 90% of their
ingredients are organic,
with an emphasis on
local ingredients. Try
their Markisa Breeze
(passionfruit) or Purple
Pari Pari (butterfly pea
flower and lemongrass).
Before you start bringing out your torches, SCOBY
stands for symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast.
‘Symbiotic’ means that the bacteria and yeast strains
live together in a complex, mutually supportive com-
munity, supporting and depending on each other.
Because that SCOBY is a living entity, it needs food
and a proper environment to thrive.
A kombucha SCOBY’s food source is sweetened black
Not willing to spend a ton? That’s the best part of
kombucha – you can make it at home!
Home brewing also presents the advantage of
controlling the ingredients - choose the sugar and tea
you prefer based on your preference for quality and
cost. Likewise, you can control the final sugar content
by choosing to brew longer for a lower sugar beverage.
Where can I get
my hands on kombucha?
In KL, you can now find kombucha quite easily in a
variety of places, from supermarkets to gyms to cafes.
In the retail scene, there are several brands of local and
imported kombucha awaiting your sampling. Imported
kombucha are mostly from Australia and the UK, in
canned or bottled versions.
In the last couple of years, we have seen a bloom of
local kombucha producers hopping on to the trend.
Such is Wonderbrew. Their vibrant labelled bottles are
kombucha teas brewed with refreshing ingredients
such as beet root, mint, and passion fruit. Over 90% of
their ingredients are organic, with an emphasis on local
ingredients. Try their Markisa Breeze (passionfruit) or
Purple Pari Pari (butterfly pea flower and lemongrass).
Can you imagine yourself sipping on a fizzy passion
fruit Kombucha on a sunny afternoon? We can! — The
Health
The locally made kombucha company, Wonderbrew is where you can try out the drink for yourself.