Food and Cooking Tips

Kombucha tea is made from combining sweet tea and the Kombucha mushroom also called the Kombucha culture. This culture contains a combination of yeast, and bacteria, though these are healthy ones. When combined with the sweet tea it has a taste that has been compared to a sparkling white wine or an apple cider. There are those that believe Kombucha tea is a mildly alcoholic drink, but the fact is that it is not, in spite of the process that one goes through to prepare the tea. Overall, the preparation process results in a beverage that has less than a one percent alcohol level. This small amount of alcohol content is not enough to classify the tea as an alcoholic beverage. What this process does accomplish is creating a refreshing drink that is very popular in a number of places around the world because of the terrific taste.

But not only does it taste great it has many health benefits. This is because this interesting mixture of sweet tea and Kombucha culture is able to enhance the body’s immune system and so improve the body’s ability to fight a variety of diseases. Studies have shown that people with cancers, arthritis, psoriasis, digestive irregularities, irritable bowel, high blood pressure, Candida and other types of infections and migraine sufferers have all claimed to have had improvements when drinking this unusual type of tea. People also believe that it increases the amount of energy they have as well as give them a feeling of wellbeing.

The amount of Kombucha tea that you should drink must be carefully regulated especially when you first begin drinking it. To start with it is recommended that a person drink only a half a cup, no more than one hundred milliliters, in the morning about a quarter hour before their first meal. If after the first week there is no problem with it, no side effects, than this can be gradually raised. This should be done by having another glass of the same size after the dinner meal. Once again if there appears to be no side effects after a second week, watch out for increased bowel movements, then one hundred and fifty milliliters can be consumed twice daily. Finally if after the third week everything is okay and your body is tolerating the tea without problems then another glass can be added, of equal size, in the afternoon. Drinking more water, at least two liters daily, is important to help flush the body of toxins.

Mayoor Patel is the writer for the website http://www.specialty-tea.tea-universe.com/. Please visit for information on all things concerned with Kombucha Tea

For anyone who has ever experienced a taste of this smooth and fizzy type of tea, you may be surprised that you can actually brew make your own Kombucha tea at home. Here are some guidelines to help you prepare your own tea that you can enjoy whenever you like.

Your main ingredient is going to be a Kombucha culture that you can buy at health food stores. You will also need water, black or green teabags and some distilled vinegar of any type.

First you will need to prepare the base tea that will provide the home for your culture to feed. You do this by brewing your black or green tea (six teabags and about a quart of water), allowing it to come to a boil and then steeping for about five minutes. At that point, add in three cups of granulated sugar. Allow the sugar to completely dissolve, then add another two quarts of water to the mixture. Let the teabags to steep for another fifteen minutes before you remove them. When your tea has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to a gallon-sized container with an open mouth, such as a gallon sized pickle jar. Next, add your Kombucha culture and finish off the mixture with four tablespoons of the vinegar. Use a piece of muslin and a rubber band to cover the mouth of the jar and set it in a location where it can get air, but is not in direct sunlight and will not have to be moved for five days.

After the fifth day has passed, you get to taste your creation. There should be a culture forming on the top of the liquid if the tea is progressing properly. Press down on the culture with the back of a spoon, so you can get a small sample of the liquid. Keep in mind you do not want a sweet taste, but one that is more acidic. If the taste seems more sweet than acidic, then the brew is not ready. Cover it with the muslin and try again in a day or two.

Once your Kombucha tea is ready, you can remove both cultures gently and then pour the liquid into clean bottles that you can seal. Place them into the refrigerator and let them set another couple of days. The cool temperature will allow the tea to develop its fizzy consistency and also enhance the taste.

Making your own Kombucha tea can be a lot of fun, as well as saving money. Make sure you take care of your cultures, as you will be able to use them again with your next batch.

Mayoor Patel is the writer for the website http://www.herbal-teas.tea-universe.com/. Please visit for information on all things concerned with Kombucha Tea