The Big Book of Kombucha

March 1, 2016
Crum and LaGory provide everything you ever wanted to know about kombucha (fermented tea) and answer the questions that skeptics will ask, such as, Are the health benefits proven?, Who shouldn't drink this stuff?, and Is it difficult to brew? In a vaguely Haight-Ashbury style, the authors introduce readers to a thorough examination of kombucha and its benefits and provide very detailed step-by-step explanations, with some photographs, of the processes it involves. Ingredients come first, beginning with the yeast or SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast); they insist one use the best and purest forms of tea, sugar, and water. They give newbies instructions on such issues as off odors and carbonation, supply dozens of recipes for drinks as well as some foodstuffs (chai latte flat, sourdough cinnamon rolls, kombucha chia fruit pudding), and log the history of kombucha, starting with a 6,000 BCE Mesopotamian vessel that was used to ferment vegetables. New Agey in theme and style, this is a good introduction to a little-known drink.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)