{{Short description|Fermented tea beverage}} {{About|the fermented tea|the East Asian drink "konbu-cha", made from dried seaweed|kelp tea}} {{Redirect|Tea mushroom|the tea tree mushroom used in Chinese cooking|Cyclocybe aegerita}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}} {{Infobox beverage | name = Kombucha | type = Flavored cold tea drink with fermentation byproducts | image = Kombucha Mature.jpg | caption = Kombucha tea, including the culture of bacteria and yeast, which is not usually consumed | image_alt = Glass jar filled with brown kombucha beverage, including the floating culture | origin = China | color = Cloudy, commonly pale or dark brown and sometimes green | abv = <0.5% (commercial) | proof = <1 (commercial) | flavor = Fermented, effervescent | related = Water kefir, kefir, kvass, beer, iced tea | ingredients = Tea, sugar, bacteria, yeast | variants = Fruit juices or spices added }} <!-- Beverage description -->
'''Kombucha''' (also '''tea mushroom''', '''tea fungus''', or '''Manchurian mushroom''' when referring to the culture; Latin name ''Medusomyces gisevii'')<ref name=Jayabalan/> is a fermented, effervescent and sweetened black tea drink. Sometimes the beverage is called '''kombucha tea''' to distinguish it from the culture of bacteria and yeast.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/kombucha-tea/faq-20058126|title=A mug of kombucha for your health?|work=Mayo Clinic|access-date=1 September 2018}}</ref> Juice, spices, fruit, or other flavorings are often added. Commercial kombucha contains small amounts of alcohol.
Kombucha is believed to have originated in China, where the drink is regionally<ref name="Xiong24"/> traditional.<ref>{{Cite news |title=How kombucha went from seaweed tea in Japan to a hit in North America |url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/costofliving/a-cow-worth-140-000-plus-whether-kombucha-is-bacteria-worth-billions-or-just-seaweed-tea-1.5378997/how-kombucha-went-from-seaweed-tea-in-japan-to-a-hit-in-north-america-1.5379001 |work=CBC}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=kombucha {{!}} Description, History, & Nutrition|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/kombucha|access-date=20 April 2021|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref><ref name="LaGory16">{{Cite book|last=LaGory|first=Alex.|last2=Crum|first2=Hannah|title=The Big Book of Kombucha|date=2016|publisher=Storey Publishing, LLC|isbn=978-1-61212-435-3|page=251|oclc=1051088525}}</ref> While it is named after the Japanese term for kelp tea in English, the two drinks have no relation. By the early 20th century kombucha spread to Russia, then other parts of Eastern Europe and Germany.<ref name="Troitino2017">{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinatroitino/2017/02/01/kombucha-101-demystifying-the-past-present-and-future-of-the-fermented-tea-drink/|title=Kombucha 101: Demystifying The Past, Present And Future Of The Fermented Tea Drink|last=Troitino|first=Christina|work=Forbes|access-date=10 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mullerova |first=L |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tQlFAAAAYAAJ |title=Mykologia: Měsičník pro pěstovánía šíření znalosti hub po stránce vědecké i praktické |publisher=Czechoslovak Mycological Club in Prague |year=1924 |page=41 |language=Czech |trans-title=Monthly magazine for the cultivation and dissemination of mushroom knowledge from both a scientific and practical perspective}}</ref> Kombucha is now homebrewed globally, and also bottled and sold commercially.<ref name="Jayabalan" /> The global kombucha market was worth approximately {{US$|1.7}}{{thinsp}}billion {{as of|2019|lc=yes}}.<ref name=big-kombu/>
<!-- Culture description --> Kombucha is produced by symbiotic fermentation of sugared tea using a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) commonly called a "mother" or "mushroom". The microbial populations in a SCOBY vary. The yeast component generally includes ''Saccharomyces cerevisiae'', along with other species; the bacterial component almost always includes ''Gluconacetobacter xylinus'' to oxidize yeast-produced alcohols to acetic acid (and other acids).<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Jonas|first1=Rainer|last2=Farah|first2=Luiz F.|title=Production and application of microbial cellulose|journal=Polymer Degradation and Stability|volume=59|issue=1–3|pages=101–106|doi=10.1016/s0141-3910(97)00197-3|year=1998}}</ref> Although the SCOBY is commonly called "tea fungus" or "mushroom", it is actually "a symbiotic growth of acetic acid bacteria and osmophilic yeast species in a zoogleal mat {{bracket|biofilm}}".<ref name=Jayabalan/> The living bacteria are said to be probiotic, one of the reasons for the popularity of the drink.<ref name="bauer">{{Cite news|url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/kombucha-tea/faq-20058126|title=What is kombucha tea? Does it have any health benefits?|last=Bauer|first=Brent|date=8 July 2017|work=Mayo Clinic|access-date=5 September 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/fashion/25Tea.html|title=Kombucha Tea Attracts a Following and Doubters|last=Wollan|first=Malia|work=The New York Times |date=24 March 2010 |access-date=5 September 2018}}</ref>
<!-- Health claims and safety concerns --> Numerous health benefits have been claimed to correlate with drinking kombucha;<ref name="Ernst2003" /> there is little evidence to support any of these claims.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Kombucha: a systematic review of the empirical evidence of human health benefit|year=2019|publisher=Elsevier|pmid=30527803|last1=Kapp|first1=J. M.|last2=Sumner|first2=W.|journal=Annals of Epidemiology|volume=30|pages=66–70|doi=10.1016/j.annepidem.2018.11.001|s2cid=54472564|doi-access=free}}</ref> The beverage has caused rare serious adverse effects, possibly arising from contamination during home preparation.<ref name=mskcc/><ref name="acs" /> It is not recommended for therapeutic purposes.<ref name="Ernst2003" /><ref name=mayo>{{Cite web|title=What is kombucha tea? Does it have any health benefits?|url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/kombucha-tea/faq-20058126|last=Bauer|first=Brent|website=Mayo Clinic|access-date=28 May 2020}}</ref>
== History == Kombucha may have originated in the Bohai Sea region of China,<ref name="LaGory16" /> but this view is not shared by Chinese researchers. At least before the 20th century, some traditional Chinese medicine practitioners used it as a remedy for lung and stomach ailments, but the drink was not widely known across the country.<ref name="Xiong24">{{Cite journal |last1=Xiong |first1=Weimin |last2=Zuo |first2=Kunlan |date=2024 |title=The Tea Fungus Craze of the 1980s |doi=10.15994/j.1000-0763.2024.06.009 |url=https://jdn.ucas.ac.cn/home/journal/view/id/4551 |journal=Journal of Dialectics of Nature |volume=46 |issue=6}}</ref> It spread to Russia before reaching Eastern/Central Europe, where it appeared in a 1852 work.<ref>Stadelmann, E. 1961. Der Teepilz und Seine Antibiotische Wirkung. Zentbl. Bakteriol. Parasitenkd. Infektkrankh. Hyg. Parasit. Inf. Hyg. 180Xiong2401–435</ref> It gained popularity in the United States in the early 21st century.<ref name="Sreermalu2000">{{cite journal |last1=Sreeramulu |first1=G |last2=Zhu |first2=Y |last3=Knol |first3=W |year=2000 |title=Kombucha fermentation and its antimicrobial activity |url=https://research.kombuchabrewers.org/wp-content/uploads/kk-research-files/kombucha-fermentation-and-its-antimicrobial-activity.pdf |journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |volume=48 |issue=6 |pages=2589–2594 |bibcode=2000JAFC...48.2589S |doi=10.1021/jf991333m |pmid=10888589 |quote=It originated in northeast China (Manchuria) and later spread to Russia and the rest of the world.}}</ref><ref name="hamblin">{{cite web |author=Hamblin, James |date=8 December 2016 |title=Is Fermented Tea Making People Feel Enlightened Because of ... Alcohol? |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/12/the-promises-of-kombucha/509786/ |access-date=26 November 2017 |publisher=The Atlantic}}</ref><ref name="Katz2012">{{cite book |first= Sandor Ellix |last= Katz |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TjXEAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA167 |title=The Art of Fermentation: An In-depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from Around the World |publisher=Chelsea Green Publishing |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-60358-286-5 |pages=167–}}</ref> In the intervening years, its popularity in the West eclipsed its popularity in China, where it remains less known,<ref name="x015">{{cite web | author= Interns | title=The Cloudy Origins of Kombucha | website= folklife.si.edu| publisher= Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage | date=2019-04-15 | url=https://folklife.si.edu/magazine/cloudy-origins-of-kombucha | access-date=2025-04-14}}</ref> though consumption is increasing in many East Asian countries.<ref name="m313">{{cite web | last1=Ahuja | first1=Kunal | last2=Global Market Insights | title=Kombucha Industry Expands in the Asia-Pacific Region | website=World Tea News | date=2021-03-03 | url=https://www.worldteanews.com/products%20&%20equipment/kombucha-industry-expands-asia-pacific-region | access-date=2025-04-14}}</ref>
Numerous myths surrounding the history of kombucha have been perpetrated by Western marketing gimmicks.<ref name="Katz2012" /> There is no evidence that kombucha originated in Qin dynasty China and that it was served to Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Furthermore, there is no evidence that kombucha was ever present in Korea or Japan before the late 20th century, making claims that a Korean doctor named Kombu served the drink to Japanese Emperor Ingyo entirely apocryphal.<ref name="LaGory16" /><ref name="Xiong24" /><ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Kombucha History |url= https://www.yemoos.com/pages/kombucha-history |website= yemoos.com | date= | publisher= Yemoos Nourishing Cultures |language=en |access-date=2025-09-11}}</ref>
Kombucha was first introduced to Japan from Russia and became a health fad in the country following the publication of Sumako Nakamitsu's 1974 bestseller ''Kōcha Kinoko Health Methods''.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Roquet |first=Paul |title=Atmosphere as Culture: Ambient Media and Postindustrial Japan |date=2012 |publisher=UC Berkeley |url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4cm3z3rj |language=en}}</ref> Although kombucha (as ''hǎibǎo'') had already been consumed in China before the 1940s, a national craze did not occur until the 1980s as a result of the 1970s craze in Japan. This craze died down amid warnings of kojic acid, reports of contamination in home-made cultures, and insufficient capabilities for industrial production.<ref name="Xiong24" /> In addition, CHEN Jin-Shu of National Chung Hsing University recalled that kombucha was briefly home-made in Taiwan under the name ''hóngchá gū'' ({{zh|t=紅茶菇}}; from Japanese ''kōcha kinoko'') in the 1960s.<ref name="tw">{{cite journal |url=https://www.newsmarket.com.tw/blog/153579/ |title=搭上康普茶流行列車！台灣好茶發酵，散發花蜜香氣，好喝又健康 |author=楊語芸 |journal=台灣茶訊 |location=臺中市 |date=2021-06-15 |issue=1020 |language=zh-hant |access-date=2023-05-11 |archive-date=2023-05-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230511231323/https://www.newsmarket.com.tw/blog/153579/ |dead-url=no }}</ref>
=== Commericialization === With an alcohol content under 0.5%, kombucha is not federally regulated in the U.S.<ref>{{Cite web |title= What Is Hard Kombucha, and Is It Healthy? Here's What Nutritionists Say| first= Anthea |last= Levi |date= September 8, 2020 |url= https://www.health.com/food/hard-kombucha |website=Health.com| url-status= dead| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20210328205818/https://www.health.com/food/hard-kombucha| archivedate= 2021-03-28| access-date= 2026-03-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hard Kombucha Is the New Trendy Beverage You Should Try |url= https://www.bhg.com/recipes/trends/hard-kombucha/ |website=Better Homes & Gardens| first= Katlyn |last= Moncada| date= July 24, 2020| url-status= usurped| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20200726220437/https://www.bhg.com/recipes/trends/hard-kombucha/| archivedate= 2020-07-26| access-date= 2026-03-26}}</ref> Commercially bottled kombucha became available in the late 1990s.<ref name="Wollan2010">{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/fashion/25Tea.html?_r=1|title=A Strange Brew May Be a Good Thing |last=Wollan|first=Malia|date=24 March 2010| publisher= | work= The New York Times |access-date=18 June 2015}}</ref> In 2010, elevated alcohol levels were found in many bottled kombucha products, leading retailers including Whole Foods to pull the drinks from store shelves temporarily.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.bevnet.com/news/2013/kombucha-crisis-fuels-progress/|title='Kombucha Crisis' Fuels Progress|last=Rothman|first=Max|date=2 May 2013 |publisher= BevNET|access-date=18 June 2015}}</ref> In response, kombucha suppliers reformulated their products to have lower alcohol levels.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.bevnet.com/news/2011/the-kombucha-crisis-one-year-later |title=The Kombucha Crisis: One Year Later |last1= Crum |first1= Hannah | first2= Alex |last2= LaGory |publisher= BevNET |date=23 August 2011 |access-date=27 June 2015}}</ref> Again prior to 2015, some commercially available kombucha brands were found to contain alcohol content exceeding the 0.5% threshold, sparking the development of new testing methods.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://apnews.com/23ca8b0eafd740838f7fd379eba32b42/kombucha-sales-boom-makers-ask-feds-new-alcohol-test|title= As kombucha sales boom, makers ask feds for new alcohol test|publisher= Associated Press| website= apnews.com |last= Wyatt| first= Kristen|date= 12 October 2015|access-date= 26 November 2017}}</ref>
By 2014, US sales of bottled kombucha were $400 million, $350 million of which was by Millennium Products, Inc. which sells GT's Kombucha.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://qz.com/368513/the-american-kombucha-craze-in-one-home-brewed-chart/ |title=The American kombucha craze, in one home-brewed chart |last=Narula |first=Svati Kirsten |website=Quartz |date=26 March 2015 |access-date=27 June 2015}}</ref> In 2014, several companies that make and sell kombucha formed a trade organization, Kombucha Brewers International.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2014/08/08/kombucha-cha-ching-a-probiotic-tea-fizzes-up-strong-growth.html |title=Kombucha cha-ching: A probiotic tea fizzes up strong growth |last=Carr |first=Coeli |publisher=CNBC |date=9 August 2014 |access-date=27 June 2015}}</ref> In 2016, PepsiCo purchased kombucha maker KeVita for approximately $200 million.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Esterl|first1=Mike|title=Slow Start for Soda Industry's Push to Cut Calories|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/slow-start-for-soda-industrys-push-to-cut-calories-1479837601 |newspaper= Wall Street Journal |date=23 November 2016 |access-date=24 November 2016}}</ref> In the US, sales of kombucha and other fermented drinks rose by 37 percent in 2017.<ref name=":0" /> Beer companies like Full Sail Brewing Company and Molson Coors Beverage Company produce kombucha by themselves or via subsidiaries.<ref name="boozy" />
As of 2021, the drink had some popularity in India's National Capital Region, partly due to its success in the west.<ref name="TNIE 2021">{{cite web |last1=Roy |first1=Dyuti |title=How Kombucha tea is becoming a beverage of choice for many in Delhi-NCR |url= https://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/food/2021/nov/21/how-kombucha-tea-is-becoming-abeverage-of-choice-for-many-in-delhi-ncr-2386129.html |website=The New Indian Express |access-date=21 April 2022 |date=21 November 2021}}</ref>
With rising popularity in developed countries in the early 21st century, kombucha sales increased after it was marketed as an alternative to beer and other alcoholic drinks in restaurants and pubs.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/food/2018/oct/11/kombucha-can-the-fermented-drink-compete-with-beer-at-the-bar|title= Kombucha: can the fermented drink compete with beer at the bar?|last= Fleming|first= Amy|date= 11 October 2018|newspaper= The Guardian|language= en|access-date= 11 October 2018}}</ref>
According to the market research firm Grand View Research, kombucha had a global market size of {{US$|1.67}}{{thinsp}}billion {{as of|lc=yes|2019}} and has been expected to grow to {{US$|9.7}}{{thinsp}}billion by 2030.<ref name=big-kombu>{{cite web |publisher=Grandview Research |url= https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/kombucha-market |date=February 2020 |title=Kombucha Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Flavor (Original, Flavored), By Distribution Channel (Supermarkets, Health Stores, Online Stores), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 – 2027| access-date= }}</ref>
==Etymology and terminology==
The etymology of ''kombucha'' is uncertain, but it is believed to be a misapplied loanword from Japanese.<ref name="Algeo97">{{cite journal |last1=Algeo |first1=John |last2=Algeo |first2=Adele |year=1997 |title=Among the New Words |journal=American Speech |volume=72 |issue=2 |pages=183–97 |doi=10.2307/455789 |jstor=455789}}</ref> English speakers may have confused the Japanese word ''konbucha'' with {{nihongo3|'black tea mushroom'<!--Although "紅" means red, "紅茶" means "black tea" as in Chinese because of colour of the oxidized leaves and tea. See black tea. -->|紅茶キノコ|kōcha kinoko}}, popularized around 1975.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wong |first=Crystal |date=12 July 2007 |title=U.S. 'kombucha': Smelly and No Kelp |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2007/07/12/national/u-s-kombucha-smelly-and-no-kelp/ |access-date=14 June 2015 |work=Japan Times |archive-date=21 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621000130/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2007/07/12/national/u-s-kombucha-smelly-and-no-kelp/ |url-status=bot: unknown}}.(Internet Archive)</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title= 紅茶キノコ(こうちゃキノコ)とは？ 意味や使い方 |trans-title=What is 'red tea mushroom'? – meaning and usage |url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E7%B4%85%E8%8C%B6%E3%82%AD%E3%83%8E%E3%82%B3-163231 |website=Kotobank.jp |language=ja |access-date=2024-05-20}}</ref> In Japanese, the term {{nihongo3|'kelp tea'|昆布茶|konbu-cha}} refers to a kelp tea made with ''konbu'' (an edible kelp from the family Laminariaceae) and is a completely different beverage from the fermented tea usually associated with ''kombucha'' elsewhere in the world.<ref name=":3">[https://www.cbc.ca/radio/costofliving/a-cow-worth-140-000-plus-whether-kombucha-is-bacteria-worth-billions-or-just-seaweed-tea-1.5378997/how-kombucha-went-from-seaweed-tea-in-japan-to-a-hit-in-north-america-1.5379001 How kombucha went from seaweed tea in Japan to a hit in North America]</ref>
''Merriam-Webster's Dictionary'' suggests kombucha in English arose from misapplication of Japanese words like {{Transliteration|ja|konbucha}}, {{Transliteration|ja|kobucha}} 'tea made from kelp', {{Transliteration|ja|konbu}}, from {{Transliteration|ja|kobu}} 'kelp', + {{Transliteration|ja|cha}} 'tea'.<ref name="Definition of KOMBUCHA">{{Cite web |title=Definition of KOMBUCHA |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kombucha |website= merriam-webster.com |language=en |access-date=29 May 2019}}</ref> ''The American Heritage Dictionary'' notes the term might have originated from the observation that the gelatinous film of kombucha resembled seaweed.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Kombucha |encyclopedia=American Heritage Dictionary |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company |url=https://www.thefreedictionary.com/kombucha |date=2015 |edition=Fifth |access-date=27 June 2015}}</ref> The first known use in the English language of the word appeared in the <i>British Chemical Abstracts</i> in 1928.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Clutterbuck|first=P. W.| date=January 1928|title= 'Kombucha.' I and II. |url= https://archive.org/details/1928A/1928_A/page/330/ |journal= British Chemical Abstracts| language=en |page= 330}}</ref>
In Chinese, kombucha was historically known as ''hǎibǎo'' ({{zh|t=海寶|s=海宝|l=sea treasure}}), derived from the SCOBY's resemblance to a jellyfish, and ''wèibǎo'' ({{zh|t=胃寶|s=胃宝|p=|l=stomach treasure}}), referring to its perceived medicinal benefits. Today, it is commonly called ''hóngchá jūn'' ({{zh|t=紅茶菌|s=红茶菌|l=red tea fungus}}), a term based on the Japanese ''kōcha kinoko''.<ref name="Xiong24" /> In Taiwan, it is more commonly known as ''kāngpǔ chá'' ({{zh|c=康普茶}}), a term based on the English name.<ref name="tw"/>
==Composition and properties== thumb|Yeast and bacteria in kombucha magnified 400 times [[File:SCOBY mushroom.jpg|thumb|A SCOBY used for brewing kombucha]]
===Biological=== A kombucha culture is a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), similar to mother of vinegar, containing one or more species each of bacteria and yeasts, which form a zoogleal mat<ref name=Blanc>{{cite journal|last1=Blanc|first1=Phillipe J|title=Characterization of the tea fungus metabolites|journal=Biotechnology Letters|date=February 1996|volume=18|issue=2|pages=139–142|doi=10.1007/BF00128667|s2cid=34822312}}</ref> known as a "mother".<ref name=Jayabalan>{{cite journal|last1=Jayabalan|first1=Rasu|title=A Review on Kombucha Tea—Microbiology, Composition, Fermentation, Beneficial Effects, Toxicity, and Tea Fungus|journal=Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety|date=21 June 2014|volume=13|issue=4|pages=538–550|doi=10.1111/1541-4337.12073|pmid=33412713|s2cid=62789621 |doi-access= |bibcode=2014CRFSF..13..538J}}</ref> There is a broad spectrum of yeast species spanning several genera reported to be present in kombucha cultures, including species of ''Zygosaccharomyces'', ''Candida, Kloeckera/Hanseniaspora'', ''Torulaspora'', ''Pichia'', ''Brettanomyces/Dekkera'', ''Saccharomyces'', ''Lachancea'', ''Saccharomycoides'', ''Schizosaccharomyces'', ''Kluyveromyces, Starmera, Eremothecium, Merimbla, Sugiyamaella.''<ref name="Villarreal-Soto 2018 580–588">{{Cite journal|last1=Villarreal-Soto|first1=Silvia Alejandra |last2= Beaufort|first2=Sandra|last3=Bouajila|first3=Jalloul|last4=Souchard|first4=Jean-Pierre| last5=Taillandier |first5=Patricia |display-authors= 3 |year= 2018 |title= Understanding Kombucha Tea Fermentation: A Review|journal= Journal of Food Science |language=en |volume= 83 |issue= 3 |pages= 580–588|doi=10.1111/1750-3841.14068 |pmid=29508944|issn=1750-3841|doi-access=free |bibcode=2018JFooS..83..580V}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| url= https://www.ombucha.co.uk/faq/|title=Faq Archive - OMbucha Kombucha {{!}} Hand Brewed With Loving Care|language=en-GB|access-date=31 July 2019|archive-date= 31 July 2019|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190731160738/https://www.ombucha.co.uk/faq/}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1= Chakravorty |first1=Somnath |last2= Bhattacharya |first2=Semantee |last3=Chatzinotas |first3=Antonis |last4=Chakraborty |first4=Writachit |last5= Bhattacharya |first5=Debanjana |last6=Gachhui |first6= Ratan |display-authors= 3 |date=2 March 2016 |title=Kombucha tea fermentation: Microbial and biochemical dynamics |url= https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168160515301951 |journal=International Journal of Food Microbiology |language=en |volume=220 |pages=63–72 |doi=10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2015.12.015 |pmid=26796581 |issn=0168-1605|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
The bacterial component of kombucha comprises several species, almost always including the acetic acid bacteria ''Komagataeibacter xylinus'' (formerly ''Gluconacetobacter xylinus''), which ferments alcohols produced by the yeasts into acetic and other acids, increasing the acidity and limiting ethanol content.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Fermentation and metabolic characteristics of Gluconacetobacter oboediens for different carbon sources|journal=Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology|volume=87|issue=1|pages=127–136|doi=10.1007/s00253-010-2474-x| pmid= 20191270 |year= 2010 |last1= Sarkar|first1=Dayanidhi|last2=Yabusaki|first2=Masahiro|last3=Hasebe|first3=Yuta|last4=Ho|first4=Pei Yee| last5= Kohmoto |first5= Shuji |last6= Kaga |first6= Takayuki| last7= Shimizu |first7=Kazuyuki |display-authors= 3|s2cid=11657067}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=July 2015}} The population of bacteria and yeasts found to produce acetic acid has been reported to increase for the first 4 days of fermentation, decreasing thereafter.<ref>{{cite journal |last1= Sreeramulu |first1= Guttapadu |last2= Zhu |first2= Yang |last3= Knol |first3= Wieger |title= Kombucha Fermentation and Its Antimicrobial Activity |journal= Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |volume= 48 |issue= 6 |year= 2000 |pages= 2589–2594 |doi= 10.1021/jf991333m}}</ref> ''K. xylinus'' produces bacterial cellulose, and is reportedly responsible for most or all of the physical structure of the "mother", which may have been selectively encouraged over time for firmer (denser) and more robust cultures by brewers.<ref name="Nguyen2008">{{cite journal |last1= Nguyen |first1= VT |last2= Flanagan |first2= B |last3= Gidley |first3= MJ |last4= Dykes |first4= GA |year= 2008 |title= Characterization of cellulose production by a gluconacetobacter xylinus strain from kombucha |journal= Current Microbiology |volume= 57 |issue= 5 |pages= 449–53 |doi= 10.1007/s00284-008-9228-3|pmid= 18704575|s2cid= 1414305}}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=July 2015}} The highest diversity of kombucha bacteria was found to be on the 7th day of fermentation with the diversity being less in the SCOBY. Acetobacteraceae dominate 88 percent of the bacterial community of the SCOBY.<ref name=":2" /> The acetic acid bacteria in kombucha are aerobic, meaning that they require oxygen for their growth and activity.<ref name= "Villarreal-Soto 2018 580–588"/> Hence, the bacteria initially migrate and assemble at the air interface, followed by the excretion of bacterial cellulose after about 2 days.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bertsch |first1=Pascal |last2=Etter |first2=Danai |last3=Fischer |first3=Peter |title=Transient in situ measurement of kombucha biofilm growth and mechanical properties |journal=Food & Function |date=2021 |volume=12 |issue=9 |pages=4015–4020 |doi= 10.1039/D1FO00630D |pmid=33978026 |doi-access=free |hdl=20.500.11850/485857 |hdl-access=free}}</ref>
The mixed, presumably mutualistic culture has been further described as being lichenous, in accord with the reported presence of the known lichenous natural product usnic acid, though as of 2015, no report appears indicating the standard cyanobacterial species of lichens in association with kombucha fungal components.<ref name=LiverToxUsnic/>
===Chemical composition=== Kombucha is made by adding the kombucha culture into a broth of sugared tea.<ref name=Jayabalan/> The sugar serves as a nutrient for the SCOBY that allows for bacterial growth in the tea.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}} Sucrose is converted, biochemically, into fructose and glucose, and these into gluconic acid and acetic acid.<ref name= "Sreermalu2000"/> In addition, kombucha contains enzymes and amino acids, polyphenols, and various other organic acids which vary between preparations.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jayabalan |first1=Rasu |last2=Malbaša |first2=Radomir V. |last3=Lončar |first3=Eva S. |last4=Vitas |first4=Jasmina S. |last5=Sathishkumar |first5=Muthuswamy |title=A Review on Kombucha Tea—Microbiology, Composition, Fermentation, Beneficial Effects, Toxicity, and Tea Fungus |journal=Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety |volume=13 |issue=4 |pages=538–550|year=2014 |doi=10.1111/1541-4337.12073 |pmid=33412713}}</ref>
Other specific components include ethanol (see below), glucuronic acid, glycerol, lactic acid, and usnic acid (a hepatotoxin, see below).<ref name=Teoh>{{cite journal |last1= Teoh |first1= AL |last2= Heard |first2= G |last3= Cox |first3= J |year= 2004 |title= Yeast ecology of kombucha fermentation |journal= International Journal of Food Microbiology |volume= 95 |issue= 2 |pages= 119–26 |pmid= 15282124|doi= 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2003.12.020}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1= Dufresne |first1= C |last2= Farnworth |first2= E |year= 2000 |title= Tea, kombucha, and health: A review |journal= Food Research International |volume= 33 |issue= 6 |pages= 409–421 |doi= 10.1016/S0963-9969(00)00067-3 |bibcode= 2000FdRI...33..409D}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1= Velicanski |first1= A |last2= Cvetkovic |first2= D |last3= Markov |first3= S |last4= Tumbas |first4= V |last5= Savatovic |first5= S |display-authors= 4 |year= 2007 |title= Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of lemon balm Kombucha |journal= Acta Periodica Technologica |issue= 38 |pages= 165–72|doi= 10.2298/APT0738165V|doi-access= free}}</ref>
The alcohol content of kombucha is usually less than 0.5%, but increases with extended fermentation times.<ref name=bccdc/> Some tests have found commercial kombuchas with a range of alcohol contents ranging from undetectable to 4%.<ref name="d507">{{cite web | last=Eykelbosh | first=Angela | title=National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health | website=NCCEH | date=August 13, 2020 | url=https://ncceh.ca/resources/blog/kombucha-kick-ethanol-content-retail-brews | access-date=March 27, 2025}}</ref> The concentration of alcohol, specifically ethanol, increases initially but then begins to decrease when acetic acid bacteria use it to produce acetic acid.<ref name=":2" /> Over-fermentation generates high amounts of acids similar to vinegar.<ref name=Jayabalan/> The pH of the drink is typically about 3.5.<ref name=Ernst2003/>
===Nutritional content=== Kombucha tea is 95% water and contains 4% carbohydrates and several B vitamins, such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin B<sub>6</sub>.<ref name="fdc">{{cite web |title=Nutrient content of kombucha tea per 100 ml |url=https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/2710509/nutrients |publisher=FoodData Central, US Department of Agriculture |access-date=2 November 2024 |date=31 October 2024}}{{Dead link|date=June 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>
== Production == thumb|Several brands of commercial kombucha on store shelves, Eastern Pennsylvania, 2019 Kombucha can be prepared at home or commercially.<ref name=Jayabalan/> It is made by dissolving sugar in non-chlorinated boiling water. Tea leaves are then steeped in the hot sugar water and discarded. The sweetened tea is cooled and the SCOBY culture is added. The mixture is then poured into a sterilized beaker along with previously fermented kombucha tea to lower the pH. This technique is known as "backslopping".<ref>{{Cite book| last1= Redzepi|first1=René| first2= David |last2= Zilber| title=The Noma guide to fermentation: foundations of flavor|date=2018|others= Evan Sung, photographs. Paula Troxler, illustrations|isbn=978-1-57965-718-5|location=New York|page=33|oclc=1028603169}}</ref> The container is covered with a paper towel or breathable fabric to prevent insects, such as fruit flies, from contaminating the kombucha.
The tea is left to ferment for a period of up to 10 to 14 days at room temperature, {{cvt|18|-|26|C}}.<ref>{{cite web |author=Ofir The Fermenter |title=How to Brew Kombucha: Ultimate Guide for Beginners & Experts |website=Kommbucha.com |url=https://kommbucha.com/kombucha-brewing/ |access-date=May 21, 2026 }}</ref> A new "daughter" SCOBY will form on the surface of the tea to the diameter of the container. After fermentation is completed, the SCOBY is removed and stored along with a small amount of the newly fermented tea. The remaining kombucha is strained and bottled for a secondary ferment for a few days or stored at {{cvt|4|C}}.<ref name=Jayabalan/> thumb|Kombucha culture fermenting in a jar, 2006
=== Hard kombucha === Some commercial kombucha producers sell what they call "hard kombucha" with an alcohol content of over 5 percent.<ref name=boozy>{{cite news |last= Judkis |first= Maura| date=13 December 2018|title=Is boozy kombucha good for you? It's getting so popular it might not matter.|newspaper=The Washington Post| url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2018/12/13/is-boozy-kombucha-good-for-you-its-getting-so-popular-it-might-not-matter/?noredirect=on|access-date=12 September 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Casey|first1=Michael|date=3 July 2019|title=New in brew: Hard kombucha |publisher= | work= Boulder Weekly |url=https://www.boulderweekly.com/cuisine/drink/new-in-brew-hard-kombucha/|access-date=12 September 2019}}</ref>
== Health claims == thumb|150px|Kombucha tea with ice cubes
Kombucha is promoted with many claims for health benefits, from alleviating hemorrhoids to combating cancer.<ref name=piles>{{cite news| newspaper=New York Times |date=16 October 2019 |vauthors=MacKeen D |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/style/self-care/kombucha-benefits.html |title=Are There Benefits to Drinking Kombucha?}}</ref> Although people may drink kombucha for such supposed health effects (attributed first to the protective impact of tea itself, and to fermentation products including glucuronic acid, acetic acid, polyphenols, phenols, and B-complex vitamins such as folic acid<ref name= Baschali >{{cite journal |vauthors= Baschali A, Tsakalidou E, Kyriacou A, Karavasiloglou N, Matalas AL |title= Traditional low-alcoholic and non-alcoholic fermented beverages consumed in European countries: a neglected food group |journal= Nutrition Research Reviews |volume=30 |pages=1–15 |date=January 2017 |issue= 1 |pmid=28115036 | doi=10.1017/S0954422416000202 |doi-access=free}}</ref>{{rp|15}}), there is no clinical proof that it provides any benefit.<ref name=Jayabalan/><ref name="Villarreal-SotoBeaufort2018">{{cite journal|last1=Villarreal-Soto|first1=Silvia Alejandra |last2= Beaufort |first2= Sandra |last3=Bouajila|first3=Jalloul|last4=Souchard|first4=Jean-Pierre|last5=Taillandier|first5=Patricia| display-authors= 3 |year= 2018 |title= Understanding Kombucha Tea Fermentation: A Review|journal=Journal of Food Science|volume=83|issue=3|pages=580–588|doi=10.1111/1750-3841.14068 |issn= 0022-1147|pmid=29508944|doi-access=free |bibcode=2018JFooS..83..580V}}</ref><ref name=kapp>{{cite journal |vauthors=Kapp JM, Sumner W |title= Kombucha: a systematic review of the empirical evidence of human health benefit |journal=Annals of Epidemiology |volume=30 |pages=66–70 |date=February 2019 |pmid=30527803 |doi=10.1016/j.annepidem.2018.11.001 |doi-access=free}}</ref> A review found only one human study on kombucha.<ref name="kapp" /> Kombucha is an "extreme example" of an unconventional remedy because of the disparity between implausible, wide-ranging health claims and the potential risks of the product.<ref name=Ernst2003/> It concluded that the proposed, unsubstantiated therapeutic claims did not outweigh known risks, and that kombucha should not be recommended for therapeutic use, being in a class of "remedies that only seem to benefit those who sell them".<ref name=Ernst2003>{{cite journal|author=Ernst E|title=Kombucha: a systematic review of the clinical evidence |url= https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0020339/|journal=Forschende Komplementärmedizin und Klassische Naturheilkunde |year= 2003 |volume= 10 |issue= 2 |pages= 85–87|doi=10.1159/000071667|pmid=12808367|s2cid=42348141}}{{dead link|date=July 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
===Adverse effects=== Commercial brands of kombucha have been known to contain high amounts of sugar, and the British Heart Foundation states that added sugars in flavoured kombucha can cause blood sugar levels to rise more quickly. According to the BHF, eating too much sugar can lead to weight gain, which can then heighten the risk of a heart attack or stroke.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MSN |url=https://www.msn.com/en-au/health/nutrition/warning-issued-over-potential-drawbacks-of-kimchi-and-kombucha/ar-AA1Zua5m?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=69eb6587d2234d61b472638eb948318f&ei=13 |access-date=2026-04-24 |website=www.msn.com}}</ref>
Reports of adverse effects related to kombucha consumption are rare, but may be underreported, according to a 2003 review.<ref name=Ernst2003/> The American Cancer Society said in 2009 that "serious side effects and occasional deaths have been associated with drinking Kombucha tea."<ref name=acs>{{cite book|publisher=American Cancer Society|title=American Cancer Society Complete Guide to Complementary and Alternative Cancer Therapies|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/americancancerso0000unse|chapter-url-access=registration|edition=2nd|year=2009|isbn=978-0-944235-71-3|location=New York |veditors=Russell J, Rovere A|pages=[https://archive.org/details/americancancerso0000unse/page/629 629–633]|chapter=Kombucha tea|quote=Serious side effects and occasional deaths have been associated with drinking Kombucha tea}}</ref> Because kombucha is a commonly homemade fermentation, caution should be taken because pathogenic microorganisms can contaminate the tea during preparation.<ref name=mayo/><ref name="Villarreal-Soto 2018 580–588"/> The risk of proliferation of bacteria associated with botulinum toxin is one reason that the pH of kombucha must be low, as Clostridium botulinum struggles to proliferate below pH 4.6.<ref name=maricopa>{{cite web | title = Kombucha| website= maricopa.gov| publisher = Maricopa County Environmental Services| location= Maricopa County, Arizona| date = 2017| url = https://www.maricopa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/75807/Kombucha-Guidance-PDF}}</ref><ref name="t025">{{cite web |title=Botulism |url=https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/botulism |publisher= World Health Organization | website= who.int |date=September 25, 2023 |ref={{sfnref|World Health Organization (WHO)|2023}} |access-date=March 27, 2025}}</ref>
Adverse effects associated with kombucha consumption may include severe hepatic (liver) and renal (kidney) toxicity as well as metabolic acidosis.<ref name=Dasgupta11>{{cite book|title=Effects of Herbal Supplements on Clinical Laboratory Test Results| last= Dasgupta |first= Amitava| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ts9WFyHtODMC |year=2011 |pages=24, 108, 112| publisher=Walter de Gruyter |location= Berlin |isbn= 978-3-1102-4561-5}}</ref><ref name=Dasgupta13/><ref name=AbdualmjidSergi13>{{cite journal|title=Hepatotoxic Botanicals—An Evidence-based Systematic Review| journal= Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences |last1=Abdualmjid|first1=Reem J|last2=Sergi |first2=Consolato |year=2013| volume=16| issue=3| pages= 376–404|pmid=24021288|doi=10.18433/J36G6X |doi-access=free}}</ref>
Some adverse health effects may arise from the acidity of the tea causing acidosis, and brewers are cautioned to avoid over-fermentation.<ref name="mskcc">{{cite web|url=https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/kombucha|title=Kombucha| website= mskcc.org| date=22 May 2014 |publisher=Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center|access-date=1 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Nummer|first=Brian A.|title=Kombucha Brewing Under the Food and Drug Administration Model Food Code: Risk Analysis and Processing Guidance|journal=Journal of Environmental Health| volume= 76 |issue= 4| pages= 8–11|date=November 2013|pmid=24341155}}</ref><ref name=bccdc/> Other adverse effects may be a result of bacterial or fungal contamination during the brewing process.<ref name=bccdc/> Some studies have found the hepatotoxin usnic acid in kombucha, although it is not known whether the cases of liver damage are due to usnic acid or to some other toxin.<ref name=Dasgupta13>{{cite book |title=Accurate Results in the Clinical Laboratory: A Guide to Error Detection and Correction|editor-last1=Dasgupta|editor-first1=Amitava|editor-last2=Sepulveda|editor-first2=Jorge L.|chapter=Effects of herbal remedies on clinical laboratory tests|last=Dasgupta|first=Amitava|pages=78–79|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HEBloh3nxiAC|publisher=Elsevier|location=Amsterdam, NH|date=2013|isbn=978-0-1241-5783-5}}</ref><ref name=LiverToxUsnic>{{cite website |title=Drug record, Usnic acid (''Usnea'' species)| website= livertox.nlm.nih.gov |url=https://livertox.nlm.nih.gov//UsnicAcid.htm|date=23 June 2015 |publisher= National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190702160313/https://livertox.nlm.nih.gov/UsnicAcid.htm | archive-date=2 July 2019 |access-date=26 July 2017}}</ref>
The acidity of kombucha may be threatening to the demineralization of teeth, leading towards later tooth decay.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last1=Erickson |first1=Andy |last2=Rond |first2=Emily |last3=Cravens |first3=Shannen L. |date=2025 |title=Investigating the demineralisation of hydroxyapatite by kombucha and hard seltzer using atomic force microscopy |journal=Biosurface and Biotribology |language=en |volume=11 |issue=1 |article-number=e12088 |doi=10.1049/bsb2.12088 |issn=2405-4518|doi-access=free}}</ref> Kombucha surpasses the critical pH of teeth, which is approximately 5.5, which disrupts the chemical stability of the enamel, leading to enamel erosion.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Meurman |first1=J. H. |last2=ten Gate |first2=J. M. |date=1996 |title=Pathogenesis and modifying factors of dental erosion |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-0722.1996.tb00068.x |journal=European Journal of Oral Sciences |language=en |volume=104 |issue=2 |pages=199–206 |doi=10.1111/j.1600-0722.1996.tb00068.x |pmid=8804887 |issn=1600-0722|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |last=Dawes |first=Colin |date=December 2003 |title=What is the critical pH and why does a tooth dissolve in acid? |journal= Journal of the Canadian Dental Association |volume=69 |issue=11 |pages=722–724 |issn=1488-2159 |pmid=14653937}}</ref> Acids react with the bases within calcium hydroxyapatite, the primary component of tooth enamel, neutralizing them and increasing the dissolution of the enamel, causing degradation of the teeth.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-16 |title=Acid-Base Chemistry in Tooth Decay |url= https://chem.libretexts.org/Courses/Duke_University/CHEM_110_Honors_Writing_Projects/Duke_CHEM_110_Fall_2022%3A_Cox_and_Shorb/Acid-Base_Chemistry_in_Tooth_Decay |access-date=2025-10-03 |website=Chemistry LibreTexts |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-09-01 |title=Critical pH and Le Châtelier: How everyday substances and habits can dissolve your teeth away |url=https://uwaterloo.ca/chem13-news-magazine/december-2015-january-2016/chemistry/critical-ph-and-chatelier-how-everyday-substances-and-habits |website=Chem 13 News Magazine |language=en |via= uwaterloo.ca |access-date=2025-10-03}}</ref><ref name=":6" />
Drinking kombucha can be harmful for people with preexisting ailments.<ref name=GreenwaltSteinkraus2000>{{cite journal|last1=Greenwalt|first1=C. J. |last2= Steinkraus|first2=K. H.|last3=Ledford|first3=R. A. |title=Kombucha, the Fermented Tea: Microbiology, Composition, and Claimed Health Effects| journal= Journal of Food Protection |volume=63|issue=7|year=2000|pages=976–981|issn=0362-028X|doi=10.4315/0362-028X-63.7.976 |pmid=10914673|s2cid=27587313 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Due to its microbial sourcing and possible non-sterile packaging, kombucha is not recommended for people with poor immune function,<ref name=mskcc/> women who are pregnant or nursing, or children under 4 years old:<ref name=bccdc>{{cite report|url=http://www.bccdc.ca/resource-gallery/Documents/Educational%20Materials/EH/FPS/Food/kombucha1.pdf|title=Food Safety Assessment of Kombucha Tea Recipe and Food Safety Plan| publisher= British Columbia Centre for Disease Control|series=Food Issue, Notes From the Field|date=27 January 2015|access-date=1 July 2015}}</ref> It may compromise immune responses or stomach acidity in these susceptible populations.<ref name=mskcc/> There are certain drugs that one should not take with kombucha because of the small percentage of alcohol content.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Martini |first1=Nataly |title= Potion or Poison? Kombucha |journal=Journal of Primary Health Care |url=https://www.publish.csiro.au/hc/Fulltext/HC15930 |date= March 2018 |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=93–94 |doi=10.1071/HC15930 |pmid= 30068458 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
A 2019 review enumerated numerous potential health risks (including hyponatremia, lactic acidosis, toxic hepatitis, etc.<ref name=kapp/>{{rp|68}}), but said "kombucha is not considered harmful if about 4 oz [120 mL] per day is consumed by healthy individuals; potential risks are associated with a low pH brew leaching heavy metals from containers, excessive consumption of highly acidic kombucha, or consumption by individuals with pre-existing health conditions."<ref name=kapp/>
===Caffeine=== Kombucha contains a small amount of caffeine.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url= https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/the-health-hub/food-drink/nutrition/kombucha-benefits/ | title=What is Kombucha? Benefits & Side Effects |publisher= Holland & Barrett|website= hollandandbarrett.com| date= 2024-09-04 | access-date= 2026-03-26}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bonappetit.com/story/does-kombucha-have-caffeine|title=So Does Kombucha Have Caffeine or Alcohol in It? How Much?!|date=2 July 2018|website=Bon Appétit}}</ref>
== Other uses == Kombucha culture, when dried, becomes a leather-like textile known as a microbial cellulose that can be molded onto forms to create seamless clothing.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.popsci.com/meet-woman-who-wants-growing-clothing-lab|title=Meet the Woman Who Wants to Grow Clothing in a Lab|last=Grushkin|first=Daniel|publisher=Popular Science|date=17 February 2015|access-date=18 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bkaccelerator.com/biocouture-creates-kombucha-mushroom-fabric-fashion-architecture/|title=BIOCOUTURE Creates Kombucha Mushroom Fabric For Fashion & Architecture|last=Oiljala|first=Leena|date=9 September 2014|access-date=18 June 2015|publisher=Pratt Institute|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619063637/http://bkaccelerator.com/biocouture-creates-kombucha-mushroom-fabric-fashion-architecture/|archive-date=19 June 2015}}</ref> Using different broth media such as coffee, black tea, and green tea to grow the kombucha culture results in different textile colors, although the textile can also be dyed using other plant-based dyes. Different growth media and dyes also change the textile's feel and texture.<ref name="Hinchliffe">{{cite web |last=Hinchliffe |first=Jessica |date=25 September 2014 |title='Scary and gross': Queensland fashion students grow garments in jars with kombucha |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-24/brewing-clothes-queensland-fashion-student-grow-garments-in-jar/5765060 |access-date=18 June 2015 |publisher=ABCNet.net.au}}</ref> Dried and processed SCOBY has been investigated as a leather substitute.<ref name="t748">{{cite journal | last1=Nguyen | first1=Hau Trung | last2=Saha | first2=Nabanita | last3=Ngwabebhoh | first3=Fahanwi Asabuwa | last4=Zandraa | first4=Oyunchimeg | last5=Saha | first5=Tomas | last6=Saha | first6=Petr | title=Kombucha-derived bacterial cellulose from diverse wastes: a prudent leather alternative | journal=Cellulose | volume=28 | issue=14 | date=2021 | issn=0969-0239 | doi=10.1007/s10570-021-04100-5 | doi-access=free | pages=9335–9353 | url=https://publikace.k.utb.cz/bitstream/10563/1010494/3/Postprint_1010494.pdf | access-date=2025-03-27}}</ref> Additionally, the SCOBY itself can be dried and eaten as a sweet or savory snack.<ref>{{Cite web|date=17 June 2015|title=Kombucha Scoby Jerky|url=https://www.fermentingforfoodies.com/kombucha-scoby-jerky/|access-date=23 March 2021|website=Fermenting for Foodies|language=en-US}}</ref> Kombucha can be further used for bioleaching of yttrium oxide from waste fluorescent lamp phosphors.<ref name="Fritz2025">{{cite journal |last1=Fritz |first1=Alexander |last2=Daumann |first2=Lena |last3=Schwarzer |first3=Stefan |year=2025 |title=Bioleaching of Rare Earth Fluorescent Lamp Phosphors Using Kombucha |journal=Journal of Chemical Education |volume=102 |issue=5 |pages=2096–2102 |doi=10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c01532}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Drink}} * Cannabis tea, a cannabis-infused drink prepared by steeping various parts of the cannabis plant in hot or cold water * Enviga, a carbonated green tea drink promoted with bogus health claims * Jun, a fermented drink made from green tea and honey * Kefir, a fermented dairy product * Kvass, a traditional fermented drink made from bread * List of unproven or disproven cancer treatments * Mushroom tea, an infusion of mushrooms in water, made by using edible/medicinal mushrooms (such as lingzhi mushroom) or psychedelic mushrooms (such as ''Psilocybe cubensis'') * Tibicos, or "water kefir" {{clear}}
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *{{Commons category-inline|Kombucha}} {{teas}} {{Authority control}}
Category:2010s in food Category:Alternative medicine Category:Articles containing video clips Category:Blended tea Category:Carbonated drinks Category:Chinese teas Category:Fermented drinks Category:Fermented tea Category:Manchuria Category:Mycology Category:Functional beverages