This theory about kombucha and puer the same is like saying shitake mushrooms that grow out of wood bits the same as a pot of sugared water cooked with saw dust left aside to “ferment”.
I wish there were any solid reliable reference to the claim that this kombucha thing comes from Russia or any of its formr allies, but all are just claims basing on other claims. The claimed health effects of the drink in the few scientific reports can be said of so many other normal grocery products. None effectiveness findings exist.
The drink is full of sugar, to say the least. Refined white sugar, to be exact. The kind that is most dangerous of all cane sugar derived products. I am not sure if the moldy culture is more about the sugar or about the tea. Read the label of ANY kombucha bottle and try to understand the data. Do not fall into another scam by bottle drink manufacturers. They are all selling basically sweetened water with a bit of this and that in it. Google the sales of bottled kombucha, the figure is not about the miserable volume home-made version your friend may be doing. Its all a big brother game.
