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Kombucha, More Than a Drink

Hajrah Popalzay

I did not know what to expect when I first got my live SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Yeast) with instructions to get it started, I really did not think it was going to be interesting. Here in the city of Vaughan, I have heard of Kombucha and all the health benefits of drinking it but I did not know it can easily be made at home.

I thought it was going to be gross since ‘fungi’ and ‘bacteria’ would be growing in the mixture, but surprisingly it was exciting to watch it grow. At first, I did not think it would grow that fast but four weeks in a dark, warm environment, a translucent ring formed at the top of the liquid. Two weeks later and I had a fully formed SCOBY!

It felt kind of like keeping a pet and watching it grow instantly when you had your eyes off it. Once the SCOBY was formed, I placed it in the fridge just to see what would happen to it. Turns out they do not like the cold, my SCOBY denatured and separated into a stringy mess. Although I am now SCOBY-less, it was an experience I will remember.