How do you have your tea? Black or with milk? Do you take a dollop of cream with it or spoonfuls of sugar? What about a touch of bacteria?
Anu Vijayan grins as she serves me a glass of Kombucha. Those who stay up-to-date with the latest food and health trends on social media, especially Instagram, would have probably crossed paths with Kombucha – a fermented tea, either black or green, mixed with a dash of bacteria, yeast and sugar. A bit of fruit juice, herbs or spices are often added to the Kombucha for flavour and it’s best served cold.
The Kombucha that is served to me has a blend of passion fruit and dragon fruit. I look at the glass and see cloudy strings floating on the top. “Those are particles of SCOBY, (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast). It’s a live bacteria. Don’t worry, it’s good for you.”
Saying a silent prayer, I take a tentative sip. It tastes surprisingly like homemade wine. Anu breathes a sigh of relief when I say I like the drink. “The taste may not be for everyone,” she says.
Anu Vijayan
According to Anu, this fermented tea drink has been brewing its way to the top of the trend chain in recent years, although it has been around a long time. “One can trace its roots to China. It soon spread to Europe and America over time and is gradually coming in to the metros of India. There are dedicated Kombucha bars in the US.” Low in sugar, Kombucha claims to aid digestion, boost the immune system, help in weight lost and is an energy booster. Studies have suggested the mixture might help maintain healthy blood sugar levels and cholesterol. “And that’s why it’s one of the many, current popular health food trends.”
Anu chanced upon Kombucha while researching for value added products from dragon fruit. Her father, J Vijayan, runs a farm near Palode that is dedicated to the fruit. “I was sick and tired of run-of-the-mill jams, ice creams and squashes. Kombucha struck me as something unique and so I thought I would try my hand at infusing dragon fruit with the fermented tea.”
And so she imported a batch of SCOBY and began experimenting with Kombucha based on a recipe she got off the Internet. The process of making Kombucha is long, says Anu, who helps in the marketing of the goods from her father’s farm, Vaisakh Gardens. “It starts with making a sugary tea. By the way, in one litre of tea, only 50 mg of sugar is added. It is then transferred to a jar where we start the fermentation process by adding the bacteria and yeast. It takes around seven to 10 days to complete the fermentation process.” According to Anu, the symbiotic culture is complete when the mixture reaches the perfect balance of sweet and sour. “We then add the fruit juice to the Kombucha at room temperature until it carbonates. It usually takes three days. Once the drink is properly fizzy, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month.”
As her experimentation with dragon fruit was a success, Anu began blending fermented tea with other seasonal fruits on the farm. She even tried mixing combinations of fruits with the tea.
Rimbucha
The 32-year-old is now busy bottling the naturally carbonated probiotic beverages under the brand name Rimbucha for the market. She laughs saying: “We were looking for something that rhymed with Kombucha when the memory of the Rimpoche in Yodha came to mind. Yodha is a movie most of us have watched and loved and hence we decided to call the drink Rimbucha.”
Right now, Anu is introducing Rimbucha in six variant flavours– dragon fruit, dragon fruit with apple, dragon fruit with passion fruit, apple, passion fruit and strawberry (limited number) and plans to add more to the list soon. “I am working on a recipe that incorporates turmeric, black pepper and ashwagandha with the tea,” says Anu is also marketing a fruit tonic she has created that is a blend of fresh fruits, brown sugar and lemon.
Rimbucha brand was launched yesterday at Women’s Club as part of Mahima, an art and craft bazaar by women, which is on until December 9. The bottled drinks will be available at Tanmatra Ayur Clinic at Peroorkada and at Spring, Nanthencode, shortly. The price of a bottle of Rimbucha starts at ₹100.
Contact: 9745793047
