PRESS: Feast and Field

KOMBUCHA-CURIOUS? HERE’S HOW TO MAKE IT AT HOME

Story by Deanna Fox // Full story www.Feastandfield.net

One of the biggest additions to the beverage market in the last few years is kombucha, a fermented tea-based product that dates as far back as 2,000 years ago in China.

While health food aficionados have been touting the benefits and flavor of kombucha for decades, mass-produced kombucha has seen a recent influx into the popular market, with total domestic sales reaching well over $700 million annually, according to SPINS, a market research group that focuses on natural and organic products.

Kombucha — the fizzy, gut-healthy, low-sugar beverage that is “brewed” or fermented, similar to wine or cider — has reached a new epoch of recognition and praise for those seeking non-alcoholic beverage choices, all-natural thirst quenchers and health-minded options. While there are few studies that definitively prove the health benefits of drinking kombucha, it is known that the fermentation process introduces probiotics into the drink that kombucha lovers say boost immunity, digestive health and contribute to overall wellbeing.

Philippe Trinh, head brewer and flavor master for Seek North Kombucha, based in Kingston, New York, shares his basic homemade recipe so you can get funky with fermentation right at home.