Kombucha is sweetened tea fermented by a SCOBY, which turns it into a tart, lightly fizzy drink. SCOBY stands for “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast”, and it looks like a rubbery pancake.
What does kombucha taste like?
Tart and a little vinegary, with a light fizz and some sweetness left from the sugar in the tea. A short brew tastes milder and sweeter. A longer brew is bolder and more vinegary. Fruit or ginger added for a second ferment changes the flavour again.
How is kombucha made?
- Brew plain black or green tea and stir in white sugar.
- Let the sweet tea cool below 30°C, then pour it into a glass jar with the SCOBY and some starter liquid from a finished batch.
- Cover the jar with a cloth and keep it at 20 to 29°C. It is usually ready in 7 to 14 days, when it tastes pleasantly tart.
- Pour off the kombucha, and keep the SCOBY and a cup of the liquid for the next batch.
Kombucha has more safety rules than kefir, so use the full method: How to make kombucha at home.
What is a SCOBY?
A SCOBY is the living culture that does the fermenting: a community of bacteria and yeasts that grow together in a rubbery mat. A new layer grows on top of the tea with every batch, so one SCOBY can become several. Brown strings and sediment hanging from it are yeast, and they are harmless. Dry, fuzzy spots in white, green, blue, grey or black are mould, and then the batch, SCOBY included, has to go.
What is in kombucha?
- Tea and sugar. The microbes eat part of the sugar as they ferment, so a longer brew has less sugar left in it.
- Acids. Fermentation makes organic acids, mainly acetic acid (the acid in vinegar) and gluconic acid, with others. They give kombucha its tang.
- Caffeine. It comes from the tea. Amounts vary widely: in one analysis of nine commercial kombuchas it ranged from about 15 to 113 milligrams per litre, and the highest one had caffeine added.
- Live bacteria and yeasts. Kombucha that is not pasteurised after fermenting still contains them.
Commercial kombuchas differ a great deal from one another, because the tea, the culture and the brewing time all differ.
Kombucha and kefir: are they the same?
No. Kombucha is a tea ferment made with a SCOBY and contains no dairy. Kefir is made with kefir grains from milk or from sugar water. See Kombucha or kefir: which should you try first?
اردو میں
کمبوچا میٹھی چائے سے بنا ایک کھٹا، ہلکا سا جھاگ دار خمیر شدہ مشروب ہے۔ اسے سکوبی (SCOBY) کے ذریعے تیار کیا جاتا ہے، جو بیکٹیریا اور خمیر کا ایک ربڑ جیسا مجموعہ ہے۔ ہر بیچ کے ساتھ اس پر ایک نئی تہہ بنتی ہے۔
Where can I buy kombucha in Pakistan?
We make Kombucha Tea in Peshawar and send it by courier to every city in Pakistan. A live Kombucha SCOBY with starter tea goes by courier to every city in Pakistan. You pay cash on delivery.
Sources: Antolak et al. 2021, Antioxidants, Kombucha tea: a double power of bioactive compounds from tea and a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts; Yang et al. 2022, Microbial and chemical profiles of commercial kombucha products; Cultures for Health, Kombucha: frequently asked questions; Cleveland Clinic, Kombucha. All opened 10 October 2026. Written by KefirBuy.
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