Last month I visited the Food Market at the wonderful Midlands Arts Centre in Edgbaston, Birmingham and spoke to the local stallholders there, where local, healthy produce is being championed. As it’s coming up to its December market (Sunday 21st for those interested), I wanted to post about a new discovery I made while there: Kombucha tea.
What is kombucha?
Kombucha is made up of a bacteria and yeast culture that is added to tea leaves and sugar to create a unique culture (based on the type of tea) which releases organic acids, vitamins – notably vitamin B and C – and enzymes. The drink is often ingested as a form of detox, working well with the body’s natural bacteria and is reported to help with a variety of ailments too, which is unsurprising coming from a raw, organic base.
Specialist flavoured tea
Taking it a step further, the speciality teas that I tasted at The Happy Gut Hut stand at the Food Market come with a fruity twist. Alyn, the owner and tea brewer, brought six different flavours that started with the kombucha base and were infused with fresh fruit to create a delicious cool drink! Stepping away from the original, slightly bitter taste, the juices were exotic and well-balanced, with the cantaloupe melon, lemon grass and lime flavour being my favourite (I’m crazy for anything melon!). I ended up taking away a bottle which I drank over the next two days, as it’s not to be consumed all in one go, but it also doesn’t last for a long time due to the pre-started fermentation process.
I’d like to add here a personal thank you to Alyn for introducing me to the drink and its deep-rooted links with well-being too. Keep up the good work!
Photo credit: Brooke Lark