Kombucha, a little bit different

I was shopping hungry and walked past the specialty lifestyle portion of my local grocer. There on a top shelf was some kombucha.

I have a health-nut friend who once said she made her own. I have seen documentaries on it and food travel shows where the hosts tried it. So I figured, why not?

I grabbed an organic raw original because it happened to be on sale compared to the blueberry flavored one. Instead of snacks, I replied to my nice bagger that yes, I would like my drink out.

I shook it up to mix the stuff stuck on the bottom and opened that baby up. Weird. It was kind of carbonated, because, of course, it is fermented. The more I tried it the easier it was to drink and the fizziness was not so shocking. It was probably made worse by my shaking it up. So, try not to shake it too much. Oh wait! I just saw the part that says DO NOT SHAKE. Hahahahaha, oops!

So, as I shook it up, I guess this is not the best write up about trying it. Or, rather it is.

I just opened it up after not shaking it for a while. There was still the gas build up, just as you would expect from a soda bottle under pressure. The flavor has not improved but it not necessarily bad. I would rather drink quite a few other items before I would chose this one. Having said that, I do not like carbonated drinks, so I am rather not surprised this didn't make my favorite list.

Wikipedia.com says ...

1. Kombucha tea is a fermented drink made with tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast. Although it's sometimes referred to as kombucha mushroom tea, kombucha is not a mushroom — it's a colony of bacteria and yeast.Kombucha tea is made by adding the colony to sugar and tea, and allowing the mix to ferment.

MayoClinic.com discusses potential health benefits, or consequences of consumption ...

What is kombucha tea? Does it have any health benefits?

Answers from Brent A. Bauer, M.D.

Kombucha tea is a fermented drink made with tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast. Although it's sometimes referred to as kombucha mushroom tea, kombucha is not a mushroom — it's a colony of bacteria and yeast. Kombucha tea is made by adding the colony to sugar and tea, and allowing the mix to ferment. The resulting liquid contains vinegar, B vitamins and a number of other chemical compounds.

Proponents claim kombucha tea can stimulate the immune system, prevent cancer, and improve digestion and liver function. However, there's no scientific evidence to support these health claims.

There have, however, been reports of adverse effects, such as stomach upset, infections and allergic reactions in kombucha tea drinkers. Kombucha tea is often brewed in homes under nonsterile conditions, making contamination likely. If ceramic pots are used for brewing, lead poisoning might be a concern — the acids in the tea may leach lead from the ceramic glaze.

In short, there isn't good evidence that kombucha tea delivers on its health claims. At the same time, several cases of harm have been reported. Therefore, the prudent approach is to avoid kombucha tea until more definitive information is available.

If you take anything from this post, I want you to know that
1) I try anything twice, especially food stuffs
2) I will update this to let you know if I get sick from raw goo
and
3) I support you in any health or homemade choices you want to make

Let me know if you have tried komucha or something else "healthy" that isn't mainstream and whether or not you liked it or felt any health benefits from it. I am curious to know.