What Is Kombucha?

[Guest guest]

Hi Ed and EveryOne,

Regarding SCOBY: " a symbiotic colony, culture, community of yeast and

bacteria " . That doesn't specify _Kombucha_ but since it was created on

the Original Kombucha list for the purpose of _simplification_ namely

to write SCOBY instead of Kombucha Colony, Kombucha Culture, etc. it

was meant to refer to Kombucha on this list and so it should stay. I

note it has spread way beyond this list by now:-))

So for this list at least, a SCOBY is a symbiotic colony of yeasts and

bacteria which comprise Kombucha. Now which yeasts and bacteria are

Kombucha?

What is Kombucha is being called into question lately. Specifically by

the discussion of GT's ingredients. You and I both have posted in

recent days the lists of Yeasts and Bacteria in traditional Kombucha

as found by Mike Roussin and other researchers and reported by

Guenther in his book.

Several people on this list however, are fermenting Kombucha that

began with GT's which seems to have a very different ingredients list.

I would like to keep room open for a discussion of the various

ingredients and how they effect the resulting beverage. I would very

much like to hear from GT Dave why he used the ingredients he did

instead of the standard ingredients. I would also like to hear from

those brewing from GT Daves what they are experiencing in terms of

benefits etc. There is a lot we don't know yet.....

Since I personally cannot say at this point one is better than the

other, I would like to stay open to consideration of both to learn

more about the effects of the various ingredients.

I can say however that _from the list of ingredients_, GT Dave's is

not the same as the traditional Kombucha we have been discussing here

for years.

In the pas, people have written about " strains " of Kombucha and I

never thought too much about it because it seemed to me that after

awhile whatever Kombucha you started with would be changed by local

conditions just like what happens to sour dough. However that is just

my opinion. Others feel strongly the opposite.

Perhaps for the purpose of clarification, we could refer to

traditional Kombucha as Kombucha and GT's as GT's. Just for the sake

of defining our terms...so we can have a fruitful discussion and all

learn from each other.

I think what is in discussion here is not so much what is a SCOBY but

what is Kombucha?

Peace, Love and Harmony,

Bev

- In original_kombucha , " Ed Kasper LAc "

wrote:

>

> your recent proclaimations on this list seem to

> indicate that you believe any Bacteria or any Yeasts (the B

> and Y, of SCOBY) would be OK as " the " culture. If that where

> true that most everything falls into your defination of

> SCOBY.

>

> How the culture works is not a mystery at all. it is one of

> the most investigated phemona in this world (fermentation).

> The only debate is really a give and take on how to do it

> better or tweak it more towards ones own desires.

>

> What is in the culture is also not debated. It has been

> largely accepted as encompassing a very broad range. But

> with very specific bacteria and yeasts (the B and Y, of

> SCOBY) that have been found in all kombucha ferments.

>

> IMO, one has to define the the B and Y, of the SCOBY.

> otherwise if any B or any Y is acceptable than any ferment

> that produces a zooglial mat may be difined as a SCOBY

>

> Ed Kasper LAc. Licensed Acupuncturist & Herbalist

> www.HappyHerbalist.com Santa Cruz, CA.

>

>

>

> .............................original message

> ..........................................

>

> 12. Re: " wild " SCOBYs

> Posted by: " Baker " vbaker@... vbaker555

> Date: Fri Aug 11, 2006 1:06 pm (PDT)

>

>

> >Apparently I have done something wrong here. It's very

> possible

> >since I am new. But I'm confused about the basis of your

> >complaint against my use of " SCOBY " . I know what the

> acronym

> >stands for (BTW, might wanna check your own translation),

> but I'm

> >not sure I completely understand my misuse of it.

>

> I thought Bev was pretty clear, and I'm sorry that you feel

> offended by her

> request. The term " SCOBY " was coined on this list to refer

> to the solid

> portion of the kombucha colony. Bev was asking that this

> term not be

> enlarged to include non-KT zooglial mats because it is

> confusing. (and btw

> the " C " in the acronym does get translated variously as

> culture, colony,

> and community)

>

> There are other zooglial mats in the world, yes. We reserve

> the term SCOBY

> for kombucha. We define kombucha here as being made with

> the culture,

> tea, and sugar.

>

> Exactly what the culture is and exactly how it works is a

> matter of debate

> and mystery. But when we speak here of the culture and

> SCOBY we do mean

> the tea, sugar, and culture that is kombucha.

>

> hth

>

> --

>