My recent article on Kombu made a passing reference to the incredibly popular flavoured drink Kombucha. I should have known that I should be careful to discuss a beloved institution like Kombucha, lest I face the wrath of their fans.
Well I want to clear up the misunderstanding between Kombu, Kombu Cha, and Kombucha. That sentence hopefully does not add to the Kombusion confusion. Let’s set things straight.
Tea Time
Kombu is a popular Japanese ingredient that is also used in other parts of the world which have certain kelp seaweed (see most Asian coastlines). While primarily used in cooking and making Dashi, as discussed in the above linked article, it is also used as a drink. Normally, this drink is made from powdered sea kelp or Kombu, as well as some plum (umeshu), and or green tea with a touch of sugar/honey. This drink is a tea, so in Japan the tea is known as Kombu Cha, or kelp tea.
The taste of this drink is somewhat like drinking tasty seawater, minus the intense salt normally found in the sea. It’s like drinking a light soup, so not usually my choice of order. If I had a choice in the matter, I would keep kelp in meals rather than partake in beverage form.
If you are at all familiar with the international sensation of Kombucha, this is not the same drink. So what is kombucha and why does it have the same name? Is it Japanese?