Celebrate the Origins of Kombucha with World Kombucha Day!
Kombucha-lovers unite! The holiday created just for us has arrived and it has us bubbling over with excitement.
We can’t talk about World Kombucha Day without first diving into the origin of kombucha itself—so let’s start there.
Origin of Kombucha
The history and lore surrounding Kombucha is often esoteric in nature. Used in China for centuries during rites of atonement, kombucha culture has been brewed, transported and traded all over the world. The ritual and tradition around the making and sharing of kombucha adds an element of mystery and power to its alchemy.
In truth, the exact history of kombucha is often speculation. However, one day we would like to visit different parts of the world and record the stories of the elders who still brew the beverage today and do our part to help fill in the missing pieces. Until then, if you have information, research or recorded stories about kombucha and would like to contribute to an open-source record, please reach out to us!
Origin of World Kombucha Day
We can thank our friends at Kombucha Brewers International for the advent of the World Kombucha Day holiday two years ago. The Kombucha Brewers International is the leading trade organization committed to promoting and protecting commercial kombucha brewers around the world. KBI wanted to honor kombucha by creating a day dedicated to its rich and vital beginnings.
Hannah Crum, founder and president of KBI says, “The origins of Kombucha date back to 221 B.C. when Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang directed his alchemists to develop a longevity elixir to keep him young and healthy. They created Kombucha, the ‘elixir of long life’.”
An ode to this original date of 221 B.C., World Kombucha Day is celebrated on 2.21 every year. The holiday is meant to not only honor our favorite bubbly brew, but also to raise awareness around symbiosis and interconnectedness, diversity & inclusion, our bonds as humans and stewards of the planet. This day is meant to celebrate the “culture” of kombucha as much as the “culture” of the drink itself. If you know Buchi, you know this is right up our alley.
We don’t need a holiday to celebrate the fermented, funky fun that is kombucha, but we’ll take one! If you’re new here, (first of all, welcome!) allow us to back up a bit.
What exactly is Kombucha?
Kombucha is a fermented probiotic tea. We like to call it nature’s original soda – naturally carbonated and made with four ingredients: organic tea, water, organic sugar, and a SCOBY (where the magic happens!).
What is Fermentation?
Fermentation is the process in which microorganisms (yeast and bacteria) transform tea into kombucha, and produce a SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast). SCOBYs look like flat, pale, floating mushrooms and are rubbery and a little squishy. It’s just as weird as it sounds, and equally amazing!
Made of cellulose - the same fibrous substance found in plants and wood - the SCOBY develops as a seal to defend the kombucha from contaminants. As it grows, it becomes a shelter for the colony of beneficial bacteria and yeasts that turn sugar and tea into kombucha.
How Does it All Work?
Kombucha is made by adding the SCOBY (or starter from a kombucha) into black or green tea, sweetening it with organic sugar, and letting it ferment for 1–4 weeks. The result is a delicious fizzy drink with a tangy, sweet and vinegar-like taste. At Buchi, our kombucha is then flavored using complex fruit and botanicals - full of flavor and purpose.
Fun Ways to Celebrate World Kombucha Day -
- Start a new batch of homebrew to mark the day! Need tips on making your own kombucha at home? Check out our Home Brew with Buchi Series.
- Share a SCOBY with a friend or neighbor! You can often find free SCOBY-sharing groups on Facebook, or you can find them for sale from Kombucha Kamp.
- Throw a booch party! Host your friends and share the kombucha love! Serve it straight-up, or experiment with fun & fermented kombucha cocktails!
- Share a story with us about how kombucha has impacted your life. We’d love to hear about your experience or journey!
