Thank you for the article. I agree that the health claims for kombucha are sometimes exaggerated. I feel that this is also true of the health dangers. Many of the more serious claims, like the lead poisoning from brewing kombucha in a ceramic pot, and the anthrax mentioned in the link, are from people who brewed the kombucha themselves without understanding how to do it. The link also notes that when taken in appropriate doses and made correctly, kombucha is essentially non-toxic. I will be the first to admit that more research needs to be done to have a clear understanding. From a scientific perspective we know hardly anything about kombucha at all… there is still debate over what organisms should and should not be part of a kombucha culture! Most of the information around for making good kombucha is just folk wisdom… but done well it still has a unique and pleasant taste. 🙂
1911 was indeed not so very long ago… I believe that those stories that trace kombucha back into antiquity are mistaken. It is most likely an invention of the Russians, perhaps from western Russia, although I would not be surprised if it had come from Manchuria… for many years parts of Manchuria were under Russian control, and Vladivostok was a major hub in the Russian tea trade. Without proof, though, this is indeed still hearsay.
