Since the description, recipe on “how to make” Ginger Root Kefir is one of my most successful posts I thought I share something new with you – Jun Tea. Maybe you are already brewing your own Kombucha. Jun Tea – Champagne of Kombucha, I would say, is also some kind of Kombucha but brewed with Green Tea and Honey. Since the Jun Tea culture needs honey for fermentation the recipe is unfortunately not vegan.
This is the Jun Tea culture fermenting in some green tea and honey. Compared to regular Kombucha the Jun Tea is ready much quicker.
The story about Jun Tea is a bit mystic. Rumors are that monks and spiritual warriors somewhere in the Himalaya between Tibet and Nepal used to brew Jun Tea. Cultures were passed from generation to generation. Same us some other bloggers I started reading a bit about it but could not really find any proof to this story. To my believe it sounds more rational that someone started experimenting with their Kombucha culture, using different teas and sweeteners and from there the Jun Tea culture and mythos has developed.
The Jun Tea culture as most cultures for Kombucha, Ginger Root Kefir or Water Kefir are not pretty.
As you hopefully already know from my Ginger Root Kefir post, I am a huge fan of probiotic drinks. Since I do have some problems with my immune system from the time I was still eating gluten and it ruined my gut a little bit, I looked for ways to improve the situation. Since most of our immune system is located in our gut and probiotics are supposed to support the gut I try every way to get probiotics in my system. Rather than taking capsules with probiotics I like to turn to natural food.
While Kombucha is a bit darker because of the black tea, Jun Tea has a light color. The taste is also much lighter than Kombucha.
When making Kombucha you need to be pretty patient but with Jun Tea you will be able to enjoy this lovely drink in a much shorter cycle. The first fermentation takes only around 3 days. The result will have a taste that is a bit sweeter and lighter than regular Kombucha. After the first fermentation comes the second one. This is when you start adding different flavors to your Jun Tea, same as you would do with your Kombucha. I love adding turmeric, ginger, fruit teas, herbs like thyme, basil or rosemary. In order to get the second fermentation going and the bubbly drink, your Jun Tea is also really happy about added fruit.
Sometimes I get asked why their Kombucha or Jun Tea is not bubbly after the first fermentation? Probably your tea was missing a bit of sweetner, either sugar or honey which the culture needs to be somehow carbonated. This is the same reason your Jun Tea – Champagne of Kombucha does like some fruit for the second round. The little organisms from your culture need that sugar to grow and to survive.
In the beginning you also might be scared of all the sugar or honey you do put in your tea but do not worry most of eat will be eaten away.
Jun Tea - Champagne of Kombucha - Healthy Probiotic Drink
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Ingredients
What do you need for making Jun Tea?
- 1 Jun Tea culture There are some online shops that do sell Jun cultures.
- 8 cups Water
- 2 tsp Green Tea – unflavored, loose tea
- works best
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 1/2 cup Jun Tea starter mostly comes with the bought culture and you need to deserve that much after each Jun Tea cycle.
Instructions
How to make Jun Tea – Champagne of Kombucha?
- Bring the water to a boil. Sprinkle tha loose tea in a pitcher big enough to hold the water and later the honey.
- After the water boiled pour it over the tea. I leave my tea in until it is at room temperature. Do not worry the Jun Tea will still not taste bitter.
- When the tea has cooled down a little bit I poor the honey in and stir.
- Poor your Jun Tea starter in another pitcher or huge jar. The opening should not be too small since your fermentation does need some oxygen in order to work. Place your Jun Tea culture in it with the starter liquid.
- After your green tea is at room temperature filter it through a mesh and fill the pitcher with the starter liquid and culture up with your green tea. Cover your pitcher with a towel or like I do with a cloth, best secure it with a rubber band since you do not want any flies to come on.
- After 3 days strain your Jun Tea, never use any metal with your culture but rather plastic. Save again some Jun Tea for the next round. The rest should be transfered to bottles you can seal. Be careful some pressure will come evolve.
- You do not want your bottles to burst somewhere in your home.
- As said above for the second fermentation you can add herbs, fruit and so on to your Jun Tea for flavor.
During the second fermentation you can add different flavors to your Jun Tea. This can be done through herbs, fruits, juices or other teas.
Notes
With the first round you are starting your Jun Tea culture will grow. After around 3-4 cycles you will have another baby that you can give to one of your friends. Simply tear them a part, do not worry it is pretty easy. After each cycle you should carefully rinse your culture under room temperature water, should not be too cold or too warm.