Once the coronavirus pandemic becomes a thing of the past while it is certainly going to be remembered for all its horrors, it is also going to stay with in the form of memories. If you’ve been privileged enough to have a roof over your head during the lockdown, then we can bet you also spent some time baking bread and whipping up Dalgona coffee to keep our minds off the lockdown anxiety. But as fun and happily distracting as our generously sized portions of coffee happen to be, too much of it can definitely take you down. If you happen to be one of those who have been constantly downing shot after shot of your favourite coffee for that much needed ‘zing’ chances are that heartburn will come free with it.
Having a tad too much coffee to keep you going during the lockdown or simply for the love of it? Well, you might be signing up for some insomnia, compromised gut health, body heat, and nausea along with a host of other issues. While coffee in moderation is always fine, it’s always bad news once you start having too much of it. But wait, that that doesn’t mean that you need to stop drinking coffee. Nope! In fact, here’s a way to drink coffee and soothe your gut while you are it. It’s time we say “move over Dalgona” for Kombucha has to be the new way to drink coffee from now on.
But What Exactly Is Kombucha?
Thought to have originated in either Japan or China, Kombucha is made by fermenting sweetened green tea, black tea, or coffee with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, also known as a SCOBY. It is the interaction of two different organisms that the symbiosis actually occurs while the drink is left to sit in a container for an approximate time period of a week.
During the fermentation process, bacteria and yeast form a mushroom-like layer on the surface of the liquid. This is exactly why kombucha is also referred to as “mushroom tea.” This blob or mushroom-like-layer can be later used to ferment new batches of the beverage. During the fermentation process, acetic acid (also found in vinegar) and several other acidic compounds, trace levels of alcohol, and gases are formed during the fermentation of kombucha that leads to the carbonation of the drink which provides it with a refreshing fizz.
Also, daunting as might sound, making your own kombucha at home is fairly easy provided you have a kombucha starter handy at home. You can find one online as well.
Benefits Of Coffee Kombucha
The Buzz: Apart from the basic benefits of coffee, kombucha coffee comes with the added buzz of this naturally carbonated drink.
Antioxidants: Kombuchas are said to be packed with antioxidants and a 2011 study suggests that the beverage can thus help us detox by cleaning the toxins present in our liver.
Probiotic And How: Owing to the fermentation process that goes into their making, kombuchas happen to be rich in beneficial probiotics that facilitate your gut health which in so many ways impacts your overall health. In fact, a 2014 study confirms that the bacteria present in kombucha is quite similar to the healthful bacteria found in our gut.
Things To Keep In Mind While Brewing Your Own Coffee Kombucha
Quality Of Your SCOBY: While you might get tempted to grow your own SCOBY at home, we’d advise you against it especially if you are doing it for the first time. To begin with, you might end up cultivating too much bacteria or the wrong kind which can have adverse effect on your health. Thus, try to purchase your starter instead of cultivating it at home and that too from trusted and certified sources.
Don’t Get Deterred By The Sugar: A lot of sugar goes into the making of every single batch of kombucha and that might scare away a lot of beginners out there. However, this sugar is for SCOBY’s consumptions and not yours. It is the bacteria culture or the yeast in kombucha that consumes most of the sugar that goes into its making and is actually required to create the right environment for the fermentation process.
Store It Right: DO NOT use anything metal to store your kombucha. Sanitise your hands and jars with white vinegar or warm water whenever you are transferring or handling the beverage. In fact, every batch of kombucha that you make should be stored in glass bottles that need to be kept in your refrigerator after the fermentation process is completed.
SCOBY care: The mother SCOBY used by you to ferment your coffee kombucha will yield a baby SCOBY. Remove both of these from your drink with clean hands, transfer to a glass jar with a little bit of the same drink, cover with a lid, and store in a dry, dark place. This is referred to a SCOBY hotel and helps you the future batches of kombucha.
Make Your Own Coffee Kombucha: Recipe
Now that we have been through the health benefits of the coffee kombucha, how about we brew a jar of our own? Follow this link or the recipe below: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Cc_tggin_/
Ingredients
- Plain ground coffee 1-2 Cups
- Sugar 1 Cup
- Water 12 Cups
- Kombucha Starter 1 Cup
Method
-Start by brewing coffee with the suggested amount of coffee and water.
-Now add 1 cup of sugar to the mix and keep stirring until dissolved.
-Take your coffee off the stove and let it cool.
-Once it is completely cool, transfer the mix to a glass jar that is big enough to contain at least 3 litres of the beverage.
-Add a cup of kombucha starter and stir.
-Cover the jar with a muslin cloth, secure it with a thread or rubber band and store in a clean, dry place.
-Give the liquid around 2 weeks for the fermentation process.
-Once ready, transfer your coffee kombucha to a separate glass bottle and store it in the refrigerator.
-You can either serve it chilled or on the temperature. However, don’t warn it or the stove or it will lose all healthy bacterias.
So, folks, all set to be caffeinated?
Featured Image: Instagram
