Kombucha

Kombucha

What it is

The name is a mistake: in Japanese, kombucha is an infusion of powdered kelp, and the fermented tea drink is called kocha kinoko, red-tea mushroom. What ferments is sugared tea, worked by a mat of yeasts and acetic acid bacteria, so the acid it brings is mostly acetic and gluconic with the tea tannin still in it.

In the kitchen

Use it as an acidulant with body: it carries well under half the acidity of a vinegar, so start at two parts kombucha to one of oil in a dressing and adjust. Reduced by half over low heat it glazes pork or duck — do not boil it hard, and never reduce it in unlined copper or aluminium.

Goes with

Cucumber Ginger Strawberry Oyster Olive oil Honey

Same species

Assam tea Ceylon tea Da Hong Pao Darjeeling tea Earl Grey Genmaicha

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