What is kombucha?

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last few years, you've probably seen kombucha bottles and cans stocked in your local supermarkets, cafes and health food shops. But, what actually is kombucha? How is it made, and what makes Odd kombucha soda stand out from the crowd?

So what is kombucha?

Kombucha is a naturally fizzy, fermented drink traditionally made by adding a SCOBY (more on what the heck that is soon) to sweetened black or green tea and leaving it to ferment.

The origins of this delicious fermented drink remain a bit of a mystery, but many believe it was first consumed in China over 2000 years ago - well before city-dwelling hipsters got their hands on it. It was then thought to have been brought over to the west by travellers and, over time, finding its way into the hearts of our cities.

Kombucha is traditionally made using an aerobic fermentation process - which is similar to when you leave a bottle of wine open for too long. The oxygen reacts with the alcohol, which, over time, turns into vinegar.

Sugar is added to the green or black tea base to make a sweet tea, and then the all-important Scoby is added to the liquid. Scoby - or symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, then eats the sugar from the sweet tea, fermenting the liquid and turning it into delicious kombucha. So now you know why kombucha is a fermented drink!

But what's the secret that makes Odd kombucha soda different? We've swapped out the sweet tea base and replaced it with apple juice. Why - you may ask. Well, apples are good for the planet and do not require adding additional sugar into the fermentation process. So instead, we're harnessing all the goodness from a traditional kombucha fermentation process, creating something new with a flavour that appeals to the masses - without losing its lovely kombucha quirkiness.

Odd kombucha soda is naturally low in calories and sugar making it more gut-friendly than your usual afternoon soda. With two delicious flavours to choose from - Odd Apple and Rhubarb and Odd Apple Cider Vinegar with a hint of bitters, these are delightfully grown-up, good for your gut and taste, unlike anything you've tried before. 

To read more about what makes our kombuchas so oddly appeeling, and for more gut health hacks, head to our shop here for more info.