Love, Lychee Kombucha by Cultur'd MNL

TASTING NOTES FROM CURATOR

The lychee, with its ruby red skin, and white flesh, is a symbol of love and romance. It finds its origins in Ancient China, when an emperor was said to have been so enamored with his concubine that he would send royal guards to the south of the country repeatedly, just to get her her favorite fruit—the lychee. It was elusive and exotic even then, and this show of devotion earned it its place in symbolism.

The Love, Lychee Kombucha by Cultur’d MNL will have you understanding the emperor, and will make you fall in love with its aromatic and delicate flavor. It’s made with kombucha yeast and bacteria cultures, a premium pu-erh and black assam tea blend, raw cane sugar, fermented lychees, and rose water. Its color is a beautiful rosy orange, and its taste is subtly floral and mildly sweet.

PREPARATION AND PAIRINGS

The fruit bits in kombucha are edible. They are essentially preserved within the fermented drink, and will be softer, and develop a slightly more acidic taste, similar to that of the drink.

Kombucha works well with other fermented and pickled foods, like pickles, sauerkraut, pickled onions, kimchi, or the local atchara. Tart and sour notes complement kombucha very well. Spicy food could also work, as the refreshing, zesty flavor of the drink soothes the palate pretty well. Fruity kombucha is also brilliant with salads and sandwiches, in fact, you can use kombucha in place of vinegar to make your vinaigrettes.

Take note to never pair kombucha with highly acidic foods. Don’t consume it after coffee. Instead, you can drink it in place of coffee for your early morning beverage.

WHAT IS KOMBUCHA?

Thought to have originated in China, kombucha is a drink that has been consumed for hundreds of years. It’s fermented and lightly effervescent, and usually made with sweetened green or black tea. The tea is fermented using a “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast” or SCOBY. The SCOBY forms a gelatinous, mushroom-like disc, known as a “mother.” The mother is also why kombucha is also sometimes called “mushroom tea.”

Kombucha is now known as a super drink, popular in health and wellness circles for its probiotic functions, which provide your gut with healthy bacteria, which, in turn, aids in digestion, reduces inflammation, and aids weight loss. It also has many antioxidants, as well as properties that improve cholesterol levels, and help reduce heart risk.

Storage Instructions

Because kombucha is a living drink, it technically does not expire, but the taste will alter. Cultur’d MNL kombucha has the dispatch date on their bottles, and are best drunk within 1 month from dispatch. Store it in the refrigerator, and keep it cold; it will last 6 months. If kept at room temperature, it will keep fermenting, and the flavor and alcohol will mature. Keeping it refrigerated is the best way to slow down the fermentation process.