Kombucha Sweepstakes

Originally from the Ural mountain region of Russia, kombucha is a traditional lacto-fermented beverage that for hundreds of years has been drunk as a daily health tonic. It is made from tea, sugar, and a kombucha scoby (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast). The scoby basically eats up the bad stuff (sugar), and in the process creates tons of good stuff for your body: probiotics, digestive enzymes, antioxidants, and a host of helpful organic acids. It detoxifies the body, boosts the immune system, acts as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, and normalizes the digestive system's pH level, among other things.

I vividly remember my first kombucha experience. My friend Jamie offered me a taste of some she was brewing, but I declined because she used the word "mushroom" while describing the brewing process, and I quite simply don't like mushrooms. A peek at this mushroom monstrosity that resembed a humongous floating pancake further reinforced my decision to abstain. But not being one to give up easily, she continued to offer me tastes and I finally agreed to have a little. With a tiny glass of kombucha in one hand and a large glass of water in the other (to wash away what was sure to be a disgusting flavor), I took an tiny sip, then another, and another, and then I asked for a large glass. It tasted like ginger ale but better - fizzy and refreshing and overall yummy! And no mushroom flavor! (Turns out the mushroom wasn't really a mushroom after all.)

I eventually started brewing kombucha of my own. But since moving in with my brother's wife's parents, I haven't had the counter or cupboard space to do any kitchen experiments. I've been thinking recently, though, that perhaps I should clear out some space in our bedroom closet and get a few jars going. It sure would cut down on my grocery bills not to have to buy it pre-bottled, and it would be a lot of fun! While perusing my favorite Christian natural health forum, I came across a link for a kombucha give-away on a fun blog called I can't decide. So I put in my entry and am crossing my fingers that I will be the winner!