The Kombucha Story

Discover the most complete history of fermented tea on the internet.

7/7/202312 min read

THE ELIXIR OF IMMORTALITY

The first recorded references to fermented tea date back to 220 BC. They originated in Manchuria, an ancient region in present-day northeastern China, where kombucha was known as chájūn or tea of longevity.

In Chinese Medicine, fermented tea was regarded as a remedy for many health conditions, especially those related to digestion. It was also valued as an elixir that boosts vital energy, commonly known as qi.

According to legend, kombucha gained popularity during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). The story goes that Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China, was eager to prolong his life through any means possible.

In his pursuit of lasting health, he called upon alchemists and instructed them to procure substances that would grant him longevity. The ancient tales suggest that one of the remedies they brought was a tea brewed from a special mushroom.

Historical records consistently attribute the initiation of the Great Wall of China to Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Given the scale of the project, it's no wonder that the Emperor was obsessed with the idea of immortality.

What's more, even after exploring numerous remedies, Emperor Qin Shi Huang remained discontent. He organized an expedition in 210 BC to find the mythical Islands of Immortality. Leading this venture was the court alchemist Xu Fu, who, on his quest, purportedly reached Japan. And that might be the place where the word kombucha originated.

THE FIRST KOMBUCHA EVER

The first kombucha may have been created when a sweetened tea was left for several days and a 🪰 fruit fly landed in it. Fruit flies carry acetobacter bacteria on their bodies, which kick-started the fermentation process.

LEGEND FROM THE CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS

There's a tale that recounts certain areas where people led simple lives and remarkably lived for over a hundred years.

They believed their longevity was due to consuming a beverage known as yeast enzyme tea, also called Kargasok tea.

During those times, Kargasok tea might have been quite different from the fermented tea we know today.

However, nowadays, Kargasok tea is often used (particularly in Africa), as one of the names for kombucha.

First Emperor of China

A samurai in his armor, 1860

Genghis Khan and his Army, Sun Lixin, oil painting

The Japanese characters used in the name of the Korean doctor also translate as Kon-mu or Komu-ha. Some speculate that the name was changed to Kombu due to accent differences.

Another theory suggests that the name could have come due to a mistake when borrowing from the Japanese language. In Japan, there is a type of seaweed tea called konbu (or kombu), that might influenced the naming.

Konbu seaweed (also known as kombu)

THE OLDEST SCOBY SKETCH

The journey of fermented tea to the Western world was probably paved by the Silk Road. The name kombucha is said to have spread westward through the return of soldiers from the Russo-Japanese War (8 Feb 1904 - 5 Sep 1905).

“In the Battle of the Sha River, a Company of Our Forces Drives a Strong Enemy Force to the Left Bank of the Taizi River”, Yoshikuni, November 1904

REFERENCES:

Sketches of Medusomyces gisevii, featured in Gustav Lindau's 1913 article (this is the oldest SCOBY

Sketches of Medusomyces gisevii, featured in Gustav Lindau's 1913 article (this is the oldest SCOBY illustration I found on the internet!)

In 1910, Russian biologist A.A. Bachinskaya from the Women's Botanical Laboratory Medical Institute in St. Petersburg took an interest in fermented tea. She studied kombucha cultures from different parts of Russia and became the first scientist to publish her findings on the structure and biology of the SCOBY.

A.A. Bachinskaya named the drink tea kvass. Pellicle that grows on the beverage during the fermentation process gained names in Russia such as Volga mushroom and Volga jellyfish.

One legend has it that in 1913, a group of scientists embarked on a mission to find a cure for a widespread outbreak (possibly tuberculosis). Surprisingly, they stumbled upon a humble village of Russian peasants who appeared unaffected by the illness that plagued the region. It turned out that they all regularly brewed and drank fermented tea.

In that same year, German botanist and mycologist Professor Gustav Lindau wrote articles where he assigned the tea fungus its first widely recognized scientific name — Medusomyces Gisevii.

KOMBUCHA DURING THE WAR

During World War I, fermented tea gained popularity among Russian and German detainees. German doctors working in Russian camps reportedly brought kombucha cultures back to their homeland, sparking increased interest in studying their microbiology.

Gaining in popularity, fermented tea began to penetrate more countries. It also played a significant role in the industrial region of Westphalia in Germany, where pharmacists marketed it as Mo-Gu (the Chinese word for mushroom) or Fungojapon (Japanese mushroom). Interestingly, kombucha cultures are still available in some German pharmacies.

One doctor who took a particular interest in the subject of kombucha's health effects at the time was Dr. Rudolf Sklenar. In the 1960s, he developed a biological cancer therapy with kombucha as the main agent. However, it's important to note that there is no solid medical evidence supporting kombucha's effectiveness in treating this disease.

During World War II, kombucha continued to spread across Western Europe and North Africa. However, due to the scarcity of tea and sugar, the beverage became less accessible to the general public but still remained present in the pantries of the upper classes.

The words of Professor Lindner in the Report of the German Botanical Society from 1913

ORIGINAL KOMBUCHA NACH DR MED. SKLENAR

In Germany, there is a kombucha brand called "Original Kombucha nach Dr. med. Sklenar."

Is it made according to Dr. Sklenar's original recipe that has been passed down through generations?

We don't have the answers for now, but I have reached out to the manufacturer via email, posing these questions. So now are waiting for the response.

Original Kombucha nach Dr. med. Sklenar bottles are sold in German health food shops, pharmacies, and drugstores.

ITALIAN OBSESSION WITH FUNGO CINESE

In 1954, Milan was swept up in an obsession with a peculiar mushroom known as Fungo cinese. However, you could get it only through friends or family, as selling it was believed to bring misfortune.

Numerous articles in the daily press contributed to fungo cinese drink's fame, with some even comparing its taste to the finest French champagnes. There were even rumors of stolen holy water being added to enhance the drink's medicinal properties.

STALIN'S MEDICINE

After World War II, the occurrence of cancer witnessed a significant rise. Hence, in 1951, the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Central Oncologic Research Unit in Moscow (reportedly under Stalin's direction), began examining cancer statistics across different regions of the USSR.

The doctors made a surprising discovery in the cities of Solikamsk and Bieriezniki, located in the central-western Urals, where there was an unusually low incidence of cancer. People who suffered from this disease were almost only those, who had recently moved to the area.

Solikamsk and Bieriezniki were home to mines extracting potash, lead, mercury, and asbestos, resulting in higher pollution levels compared to other parts of Russia. Despite the extensive contamination of water, land, flora, and fauna, including the alarming death of trees and fish, the prevalence of cancer in humans remained remarkably low.

Dr. Molodeiev, leading the research group in the Solikamsk region, and Dr. Grigoriev, conducting similar studies in Bieriezniki, were perplexed by the inconsistent findings and had no explanations.

Young Stalin

A HANGOVER REMEDY?

Sources write that in Solikamsk as well as in Bieriezniki people were consuming higher amounts of alcohol and nicotine compared to other areas of the USSR. But still, the workers' morale was much higher, and sick leave was less frequent.

It appeared that these locals possessed a remarkable ability to handle alcohol well while maintaining high productivity at work. The doctors involved in the study had no idea what was the reason for that.

Kvass, made from fermented bread is still drunk in some Eastern countries

One hot summer day, Dr. Molodeiev, visited a family in the area, where the landlady offered him a drink. Impressed by its taste, the doctor asked about its origin. Babushka referred to it as tea cider.

Dr. Molodeiev was astonished, as he had previously only known kvass, a drink prepared from fermented bread. Babushka, however, explained to him that tea-kvass was not made from bread, but from sweet tea that had been fermented with a fungus.

Confused by this revelation, Dr. Molodeiev was shown a room with numerous stoneware pots filled with the drink on shelves. The woman explained that almost every family in Solikamsk made and drank this mushroom wine.

Ammonia Factories in Bieriezniki, F.K. Leht, 1933, watercolor

A group of employees of store No. 10 of the Solikamsk Potash Combine, decorated with valuable gifts for fruitful work, 1944

Team of mine mechanics of the Solikamsk Potash Combine, 1942

L'Europeo newspaper cover with beautiful actress Mara Lane drinking kombucha

THE SAMURAI HEALTH POTION

In 414 AD, Japan was under the rule of Emperor Ingyō, who was struggling with chronic digestive problems. One day, a Korean doctor named Kombu visited the emperor and shared the benefits of fermented tea. He explained that it could help the emperor overcome his health issues.

The tea was believed to heal the emperor, who honored the Korean doctor by giving it a new name. Thus, it became a blend of Kombu and cha, which means tea in Japanese.

In Japan, kombucha was also known as Kōcha Kinoko (tea mushroom) or Golden Mushroom Tea. During the Heian period (794 - 1185), it was highly valued for its health benefits and was reserved for the upper social classes, including scholars and samurai.

The latter, gallant warriors, known for their unwavering discipline and remarkable battle prowess, could sip kombucha too. They might drink it not only for its potential health-enhancing benefits but also as a part of a ceremonial practice that aligned with their meditative pursuit of balance between the body and mind.

This elixir, believed to provide vigour and fortitude, could have been the energy drink of ancient times, potentially contributing to the warriors' endurance on the battlefield. It's also possible, that during the Asian conquests in 1200 AD, Genghis Khan and his army might store it in their traveling flasks.

ARE WE SURE THAT THE FIRST EMPEROR DRANK KOMBUCHA?

Some theories that suggest the longevity drink consumed by Emperor Qin Shi Huang was an infusion made with lingzhi. It was referred to as 🍄 mushroom tea, leading to a possible translation error where kombucha enthusiasts associated it with tea mushroom from kombucha.

Gustav's correspondence with Fedor Bucholtz revealed that Medusomyces Gisevii, found in the Mitau — the capital of Courland, was commonly used by service personnel as a household remedy, consumed to treat various ailments.

Captivated by the specimen, Gustav Lindau sent a sample of the tea fungus to his work colleague — Professor Lindner, who stated that "conducting the fermentation of Medusa tea was probably one of the most interesting experiments in the school laboratory."

It turned out that the tradition of drinking this beverage had been prevalent in the area for centuries. According to the woman, Chinese scholars had given the mushroom to the Tsar, who didn't like its taste but recognized its health benefits and encouraged its consumption.

Similarly, Dr. Grigoriev learned about the consumption of tea cider in Berezniki. The doctors discovered that mushroom wine was popular in both regions, but they couldn't determine its exact nature. So the doctors sent the drink to the Central Moscow Bacteriological Institute, where it was identified as kombucha.

Sources write that following this discovery, Professor Vinovgradov, Stalin's physician, ordered extensive testing of kombucha. Due to Stalin's poor health from severe cerebral vascular sclerosis, fermented tea was introduced into his diet. In 1952, a committee of 12 doctors was formed and officially accepted to add the drink to Stalin's regimen.

That same year, a new problem arose before Christmas. Another superstition said that not only selling but also throwing away a mushroom could bring misfortune (both to the person who threw it away and to their whole family, along with the next generations). As people divided the mushroom into four parts, where three of them were given away and one was kept, it became almost impossible to find new people to share it with.

Fungo cinese became a curse. The fungus proliferated all the time, making it overflow all the shelves, and cupboards.

Eventually, Italian pragmatism took over for fear of future curses, and the fungo cinese began to clog sewers and end up in gardens as compost. By early 1955, fungo cinese had departed Italian homes at the same speed with which it had entered them.

This incident became such a sensation that the mushroom was featured on the cover of one of the most popular weekly newspaper — La Domenica del Corriere, in December 1954, and for the first time ever became the protagonist of a song by the famous Renato Carosone, entitled Stu Fungo Cinese (which in English means This Chinese Mushroom).

THE NEWEST KOMBUCHA STORY

In the 1960s, kombucha found its way into homes in California, where it was known as Groovy Tea.

Ten years later, home brewing techniques for kombucha spread among the hippie community. It gained further traction among the hippie community during the HIV/AIDS crisis, where it was used as a medical elixir. However, due to limited research on its effects on individuals with HIV, its consumption is discouraged.

In 1995 GT Dave founded the first commercial kombucha brand in the United States. A year earlier, his mother Laraine was diagnosed with a highly aggressive form of breast cancer. Throughout her recovery, Laraine drank homemade highly fermented tea, which inspired GT Dave to produce the drink on a larger scale.

In 2010, kombucha was removed from the shelves of Whole Foods, when the Maine State Department of Agriculture's Consumer Protection Inspector, noted that the drinks contained more than 0.5% alcohol. This led to stricter regulations for alcohol and quality control, moderated in part by Kombucha Brewers International.

The incident prompted producers to change their recipes, as well as their brewing techniques, hence kombucha began to appear not only in bottles but also in kegs, which keep the drink fresher for longer.

Laraine, 1994

GT Dave preparing kombucha, 1995

A BUSINESS WORTH BILLIONS

In 2016, one of the US kombucha brands, KeVita, was bought for around $200 million by PepsiCo.

According to a study by Polaris Market Research, the global kombucha market was worth around $2.59 billion in 2021. By 2030, the market is expected to grow at an average annual growth rate of 15.7% (for annual growth, this is a really high figure).

A FEW WORDS FROM THE AUTHOR

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), excessive alcohol consumption kills almost 3 million people each year.

In 2019, diabetes was the direct cause of 1.5 million deaths, where 48% of all diabetes deaths occurred before the age of 70.

Kombucha is not a cure for disease, but it is a great alternative to harmful sweetened (and alcoholic) drinks. Instead of buying Coca-Cola, buy kombucha (or make kombucha!).

Choosing as little processed food as possible will not only affect your health but also your wellbeing. Low-processed foods will support your brain function, making it easier to focus on work, school, and other productive activities.

I hope you found this article interesting. During the writing process, it was with a heavy heart that I sifted out some tidbits that strayed from the topic of kombucha.

Xoxo, kombuczara 🧡

Cover of the weekly newspaper La Domenica del Corriere, made by the famous Italian illustrator Walter Molino

Me and kombucha :)

A short comment to those who create content and would like to use the information contained in the article:

I would be very pleased if you'll link this page on your blog in the references, and tag my profile @kombuczara on social media.