My family knows me as having a special cabinet where the miracle of fermentation takes place. Mysterious, vinegar smelling, symbiotic cultures of bacteria and yeast floating in glass jars, swimming warmly in a still, dark, place. "SCOBYs" are kitchen science at its best! Silently growing they resembling human placentas, undisturbed, doing the backstroke, waiting expectantly for final bottling one day. Brew baby brew! When the time is right a glimmer of sunlight awakens the SCOBY to the will of the brew master. Skillfully it will be harvested, the medium blended, oh so carefully, with fresh picked, organic, blood orange, pomegranate, sapote, or guava juice. This additional step creates a second round of fermentation which gives rich character to the green tea elixir. Finally it will be refrigerated after 30-50 days of ferment magic, the mix now ready for tasting and deserving of the name Kombucha. A culture with roots in a two thousand year old Chinese tradition that claims long life and grand health benefits, like preventing and fighting cancer, arthritis, diabetes and other degenerative diseases. Today, it may be one of the world's most popular health beverages made simply from tea leaves, sugar, water and Kombucha culture. This probiotic brew is mighty good for what ails you!
