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Kombucha: What is it?

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Last year, we started brewing kombucha here at Blueberry Hills Ranch. A friend of ours gave us a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast; a.k.a. the slimy & floppy thing sitting in the jar) and taught us how to make it. It was such a fun learning process, and we enjoyed experimenting with fermentation times, flavors, sizes of jars, sugar ratio (& substitutes). We were amazed by the results, a delicious, fizzy, and flavorful drink, and were delighted to know that it was nourishing our bodies. But what really is kombucha? That's what we are going to dive into today.

First, let's define kombucha. Merriam-Webster defines it as "a somewhat effervescent fermented beverage prepared by fermenting black or green tea with sugar." So, kombucha is a beverage of fermented sweet tea. It is made by making a batch of sweet tea, transferring it to a container (preferably a glass jar), either adding a SCOBY (which will make the brewing process go a lot faster) or adding premade kombucha, covering it (preferably with a coffee filter), and letting it ferment for a few weeks. Now, these are very basic (and vague) steps. We will be publishing a blog post soon that will provide more details about how to brew kombucha at home.

Now, let’s explore the origins of kombucha's history. The history of kombucha is a little cloudy. There is a theory that in 414 BC, a Korean doctor, whose name was Kombu, created the kombucha and used it to cure the emperor of Japan. However, the most common theory of kombucha's creation was in China around 220 BC. The drink was regarded as the "remedy for immortality" because of its health benefits. Kombucha was likely spread with tea via the Silk Road. It spread to Japan, Korea, Russia, and other European countries. In the 1980s, amidst the HIV/AIDS epidemic, kombucha finally gained popularity in the United States (due to its nutritional profile). Kombucha has seen a significant popularity boost since then and is rising as one of the most popular beverages.

Today, kombucha can be found at nearly every grocery/convenience store across the world. But, should you buy this premade kombucha or brew it from home? The answer is really up to you. Kombucha from the store is nutritious, delicious, and convenient, but there is nothing like a home brew. It is so fun and rewarding to experiment and find out what you like. Then, you can make the kombucha exactly how you like it! Homemade kombucha is nutritious, delicious, and relatively easy to make. You have control over the taste, nutrition, and timing of all of it! We, at Blueberry Hills Ranch, can say from experience that brewing your own kombucha is definitely worth it!

Thank y'all for joining us here today to explore kombucha's past, present, and future. Our next blog post will be about the health benefits of drinking kombucha, so stay tuned for that. Thank y'all for reading!



Start your brewing journey with our high-quality homemade kombucha SCOBYs!



Bibliography:


"Kombucha." Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, n.d., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kombucha. Accessed 1 Aug. 2025.


Laura Zhang | Comments. “The Cloudy Origins of Kombucha.” Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, 15 Apr. 2019, folklife.si.edu/magazine/cloudy-origins-of-kombucha.


“Most Popular Drinks in the World You Should Try Right Now.”


Petruzzello, Melissa. “Kombucha | Description, History, & Nutrition.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 12 Dec. 2017, www.britannica.com/topic/kombucha.

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