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You’ve probably seen your fair share of praise for the wonder drink, Kombucha. In essence, it’s a fermented drink made from tea that’s popular for its many health benefits. Just which type of tea you choose to use however, will impact the type of Kombucha you end up with. For maximizing the health benefits, taste and quality of this renowned health drink, we’ve compiled a list of the best tea for making kombucha! Find out which tea is right for you!
See also: Want a more energizing brew? These are the high caffeine teas that will get you out the door!
What is the Best Tea for Making Kombucha?
It depends on a multitude of factors. The best type of tea for making kombucha is generally considered to be green and black teas. We’ll touch on a few of those, as well as some viable alternatives that can bring a whole new flavor and kick to this drink. When making kombucha yourself at home, first be sure to find a reliable source of information for instructions, as this is a fermented tea based drink.
What is Kombucha Made Out of?
Kombucha is made out of fermented tea, sweeteners and yeast. This creates a brew that will ferment for upwards of a week, yielding a heady and sweet probiotic drink for tea lovers! It’s climbed a lot in popularity in recent decades. This is due in part thanks to its image as a health beverage, and in some cases an (almost) non alcoholic alternative to beer. Its fermented taste can make it popular among beer drinkers, of course. But there’s a lot more to it than just the mouthfeel of this beverage. This fermented mixture is generally found to have a measly 0.5% alcohol content and below. This is of course due to the fermentation process, which yields varying amounts of alcohol based on how long the fermentation lasts.
What Type of Tea Leaves Should I Use to Make Kombucha?
The type of tea you’ll want to use for making kombucha include black, green, white or oolong teas. Thankfully these are among the most common types of teas you’ll find on the market. However, before you go running out to your nearest supermarket, don’t just grab any old brand of tea bags. Kombucha is made using loose leaf tea leaves, which can expand and brew properly while brewing alongside sugars to create the base of this drink. Also, teas containing additives such as herbs, dried fruits, spices and other ingredients intended for flavoring could produce unintentional results during fermentation.
To avoid this, source your loose leaf tea with no additives, and from trustworthy organic sources that supply a high quality product. Lastly, be sure to follow instructions for making kombucha carefully, and from a trustworthy source. Kombucha is a fermented drink which requires some level of care so as to avoid making something that isn’t fit for consumption. That being said, this guide will help you figure out which is the best tea for making Kombucha for taste, quality and antioxidant content.
The Presumed Health Benefits of Kombucha
Strictly speaking, Kombucha has not been rigorously studied for its effects on human physiology. Taking that to mind, everything we know about how it impacts our overall health and wellness is only theoretical, based on information regarding similar fermented substances in the human diet. Kombucha is sold widely, and has gained a lot of traction as a healthy beverage. Consumed safely and in moderation, it’s a perfectly enjoyable way that has the potential to provide antioxidants, probiotics and more! This carbonated concoction is said to have a high level of disease-fighting antioxidants. Most studies recommend people consume antioxidants on a daily basis, which can help reduce the number of free radical cells in the body.
The fermentation process should be capable of producing a significant amount of probiotics as well. These are of course bacteria that have a probiotic effect on the digestive system, specifically derived from the acid based compounds in the mixture. If made with a certain type of tea leaves, these benefits could also be enhanced. While none of these health claims are proven, they might just give you a few more reasons to enjoy this sweet, lightly carbonated beverage.
The Best Teas for Making Kombucha
Getkombucha Organic Tea Blend
These first tea leaves on our list might have defied your expectations somewhat. It includes a pre-mixed blend of black and green tea leaves. While this is certainly not anyone’s first pick for a cup of brewed tea, it might just be the perfect combo for a delicious and invigorating batch of kombucha. This makes for the perfect subtle and toned-down blend of tea for making kombucha. It will typically produce a lighter flavor, while still providing a good basis for bacterial fermentation. On top of that, it’s also certified USDA organic. This ensures a certain level of quality and sourcing.
What we like:
- Unique blend of green and black teas
- Certified organic
- Resealable and sustainable packaging
Fermentaholics Fire Kombucha Tea Blend
This is certainly a monster blend for creating some flavorful, deep and complex kombucha! This blend consists of a mixture of dragonwell green tea, gunpowder tea, white peony, oolong, black and chamomile tea. The addition of several different green teas, as well as herbal chamomile tea makes for something truly unique. Chamomile is widely known for its relaxing properties, which may serve to enhance the flavor and potential benefits of your kombucha. This bag of tea leaves is enough to make roughly 12 gallons of kombucha. All of these teas will make for a batch of kombucha with plenty of flavor!
What we like:
- Certified Organic
- Unique blend of 6 teas
- Includes a herbal tea
Getkombucha Organic Rooibos Tea
This is a bit of a far cry from the type of tea that we’d usually suggest for making your own kombucha, but it might just fit your needs! Kombucha is traditionally, and typically made with regular tea leaves. These are leaves plucked from the camellia sinensis plant, which naturally contain caffeine. This blend is made exclusively using Rooibos tea, which is naturally caffeine free. Grown in Africa, this red bush tea has a lot of its own health benefits. This could serve to enhance your batch of kombucha for something worth telling people about! If you’re someone who’s caffeine intolerant, this is the best tea for making kombucha! It will yield something similar in taste to a standard black tea, but with none of the caffeine, as Rooibos is a herbal tea.
What we like:
- USDA Organic
- Made with caffeine free Rooibos
- Creates a unique flavor
Oregon Kombucha Pear Ginger Black Tea
This blend of tea is unique, in that it involves all the makings of a make your own kombucha kit all in one package! The first thing you’ll notice is a pear ginger black tea blend, which will give your Kombucha a complex and delightful flavor. The ginger and black tea will add depth and spice, while the pear adds an element of sweetness creating something truly unique you’ll want to keep all to yourself!
You’ll receive printed instructions on everything you need to know about making your own kombucha, as well! It will give you a list of ingredients, equipment, and step-by-step instructions that will get you well on your way to a delicious jar of carbonated goodness! This is the best tea for making kombucha if you’re someone who just can’t go without a balanced, somewhat sweet type of flavor. Last of course is the live kombucha culture, sealed in a bag which acts as a liquid starter that will develop into its own culture.
What we like:
- It comes with a live starter culture
- The blend creates a balanced, delicious flavor
- It includes instructions
Standing Stone Farms Kombucha Starter Kit
In order to give you a leg up with your kombucha-making adventures, we’ve included this kit that has everything you need to make a standard batch. That is to say, it just includes black tea as opposed to a blend. This will give you a more traditional batch, so you can further expand your knowledge of making kombucha! Inside you’ll find a live, sealed SCOBY (floating bacterial culture), sachets of black tea leaves, PH testing strips, organic cane sugar, jar covers and elastic bands. The only thing you’ll need are some trustworthy mason jars!
What we like:
- Includes everything you need to get started!
- Comes with a live culture
- Totally organic
Kombucha making has followings that are not unlike the beer brewing and winemaking scenes. Get in touch with some other kombucha home brew enthusiasts and expand your knowledge to make some tasteful drinks! Let us know which of these teas made it into your batch of kombucha!
See also: Need the right tea tray for the right occasion? These will suit you perfectly!
