Some myths about kombucha persist. Here are the four we hear most often – honestly answered, with real figures from our own labels.
Myth 1: Kombucha is full of sugar
We brew tea with sugar, and this is essential: the SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) feeds on the sugar and breaks down a large portion of it during fermentation. Without sugar, there is no fermentation.
What ends up in the bottle is stated on every label: approximately 4.2 to 4.6 g of sugar per 100 ml, which amounts to about 14 to 15 g in a 330-ml bottle. A classic lemonade contains around 9 to 10 g per 100 ml. So, our kombucha uses about half the sugar of a lemonade – and still tastes great.
Myth 2: Kombucha is packed with caffeine
It does contain some caffeine – after all, we brew it from tea. Compared to coffee, the amount is small. How much remains depends on the ratio of tea, water, and sugar, and on the fermentation itself. After fermentation, up to one-third of the original caffeine is still in the bottle.
Myth 3: Kombucha is a mushroom
No. The SCOBY looks a bit like one, but it's not. It is a cellulose structure formed by bacteria and yeasts living in symbiosis – that's what the name means: Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast.
Myth 4: Kombucha is just a passing trend
Kombucha is having a moment in Germany and worldwide, but the drink is far from new. Its roots go back over 2,000 years. China is generally considered its country of origin, where it was known as the "Tea of Immortality," and there are early records from Korea and Russia as well. Today, the American continents are the largest market, but Europe is catching up quickly.
