Courtesy of Jason Briscoe
Originally published on July 19, 2021 6:00 am
Oregon was home to one of the first kombucha brands in the United States and has since maintained its status as a leader in the $1.4 billion global industry. Local outfits such as Tualatin-based Brew Dr., Bend-based Humm and Portland’s Kombucha Wonder Drink are some of the top brands around.
Now researchers in the state are making their own mark on the kombucha landscape by starting to solve one of the mysteries surrounding the fizzy, vinegary, fermented tea: what exactly gives it its distinctive flavors?
“Compared to other fermentation systems … there’s much more variability in what can carry out the fermentation than say beer or wine, where it’s pretty much carried out by the same organism every time,” said Chris Curtin, a fermentation microbiologist at Oregon State University.
Unraveling the Secrets of Kombucha
technologynetworks.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from technologynetworks.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
OSU researchers begin to unravel the mysteries of kombucha fermentation
ktvz.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ktvz.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
July 13, 2021 CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University scientists are beginning to unravel the key microorganisms that contribute to the fermentation of kombucha, research that is already aiding large-scale kombucha producers in the fast-growing industry. Kombucha is a fermented tea drink that has been homebrewed around the world for centuries, but in recent years has become widely popular with a global market size expected to grow from $1.3 billion in 2019 to $8.1 billion by 2027, according to an industry report. Several large producers, including Humm and Brew Dr., are based in Oregon. Kombucha is produced by fermenting sugared tea using a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, commonly referred to as SCOBY, and adding flavorings to enhance the taste. But little is known about what microorganisms in the SCOBY contribute to fermentation, which presents a challenge to kombucha brewers, especially those working on a commercial scale.