Kombucha - the new item on the bar menu?

by romanlily

I have loved kombucha (a fermented tea) since it was first introduced to me while working at a raw cafe in 2005. After learning about all of its healing properties, I developed a taste the bitter vinegar flavor and tried every brand on the market. Last year I even made my own at home, which was really fun. There were times I drank several cups of it a day. Everyone around me was trying it, enjoying it, and raving about how great it made them feel. Thus, I was shocked to hear yesterday that it's been pulled off of shelves at natural markets like Whole Foods (this happened weeks ago while I was on vacation). And low and behold, I saw this frightening sign when I went there last night:

Gluten & (mostly) Soy free: Eating Healthy in Portland, OR

I've wanted to go to Portland, OR for years because many say it's one of the best cities to be a vegan. I looked forward to trying fun things like vegan corn dogs at Hungry Tiger Too, but when I did I had quite the stomach ache from all the grease and processed soy. Or perhaps it was the trip to VooDoo Donuts that did me in... Don't get me wrong, all of that was delicious and worth a try, but the next day I decided to try the gluten-free and soy-free diet - and boy was I glad I did. I partnered up with former PDX resident Robert Cheeke on this new health experiment and we set out to discover all the options in town. While we jumped right off the gluten, it took us until the end of the trip to stop eating soy, though I'm sure you could have the same meals without it.

Portland summary, part 1

I have only been in Portland for a day, but I have already done so much and I'm having a blast! I'm making videos of it all, but it may take me some time to get them up, so here's a summary in the meantime. 

My first stop was Food Fight, an entirely vegan grocery store. It was such a relief not to look at any labels. Though I was familiar with most of their products, there were a few that I was excited about, like some really good vegan gummy candies and rose tea kombucha.

Then I headed next door to Herbivore, whose products I've seen all over the place online and in Los Angeles. I really liked the vibe of the store and saw some cool items, like handbags and books. The owners were also super nice.

My first meal was at Hungry Tiger Too, where I tried their famous vegan corn dogs. Those were quite greasy, but very tasty. I also had their SouthEast Club and BellyRocker sandwich (with Daiya). 

For dinner I went to Blossoming Lotus, which has a lot of raw food. It was beautiful inside and the staff was very attentive (it reminded me of Madeleine Bistro). I enjoyed the food, but it wasn't anything new for me. I had a Ginger-Apple-Lemon juice, Live Nachos, and Green Goddess bowl.

To top the night off, I went to Voodoo Doughnuts, which is a really hip place. Though it's not entirely vegan, they have a separate section for their vegan offerings. I tried 4 different flavors and they were all yummy - reminded me off a cross between Mighty'O and Ronalds.

I stayed in the beautiful LEED certified Avalon Hotel & Spa. This was one of the best hotels I've been to, because it is affordable ($100 for 1 night), comfortable, quiet, clean, and green - and the staff is fantastic. It's right next to a bay, so it felt really natural.

My favorite meal so far was at Papa G's this afternoon - their Coconut Greens were phenomenal. I really didn't expect to love it as much as I did, since it's a really modest looking place, but it hit the spot and I would be happy to go back again tonight for dinner! I also tried Herbucha, a locally made kombucha, and that was really special as well. This restaurant is completely organic, partially gluten-free, and eco-friendly. I also enjoyed their mashed potatoes and gravy, and curry tofu. I met the owner, Grant, at Food Fight and he was really nice. 

I walked around in Mirador, a really cute eco shop, and was excited to find an artichoke steamer! : )

Believe it or not, I have a lot more to see in Portland. This city is uber eco-vegan and I'm loving it here! Though, the weather has been quite chilly...

My tour guide for this trip has been the lovely Robert Cheeke, who has lived in Oregon for many years. His new book just came out and he's been promoting it. I'll be traveling with him to Seattle tonight, back to Portland after the weekend, and then we're driving back to Los Angeles with a stop in San Francisco. 

Stay tuned... ; )

Holiday giveaway: Kombucha class or kit

If you've been following me on my blog you probably know that I love kombucha. I've even made it myself, after being inspired by my friend/kombucha expert Hannah Crum. Hannah has a wonderful class on how to make kombucha and I thought this would be a great giveaway! Her class is in Los Angeles, but if you don't live here you can enter to win a kombucha kit instead - both are worth $30.

Why would you want to drink and make your own kombucha? Because it is incredibly good for you. Benefits include:

• Energy booster
• Great for metabolism
• Aids digestion
• Helps fight off diseases
• (check out this list of 56 reasons to drink kombucha)

And why would you want to learn how to make it? Because it's so much cheaper than buying it from the store (usually about $3 a pop), and it's fun to make!

Here's Hannah's description of what you will win:

Return to harmony with nature. Learn how to make Kombucha, the Tea of Immortality, for a fraction of the cost of buying at the store. This hands on workshop will give you the tools and information to brew it in the comfort of your own home. The gift certificate can be redeemed for either the in-person workshop in Los Angeles or for a SCOBY Kit to be shipped to you anywhere in the world! Lifetime support, instructional videos, and up-to-date information will make this process smooth and easy!

For this giveaway I am giving you the option of whether you want to use this for yourself, or give it to someone else for the holidays. If someone gave me a certificate to a free kombucha class or kit, I'd be thrilled!

How to enter:

• You must live in Los Angeles to take the class, but if you're not in L.A. Hannah will send you a kombucha kit (must live in US though)
• Comment below and tell me how you would benefit from kombucha and why Hannah would be a great teacher.
• For extra credit, find my Tweet (@ecovegangal) about this contest and RT it, and note that you did in your comment. Follow @kombuchakamp
• For even more credit, tell me how Hannah is making the world a better place.
• ** Be sure to include your email address (and Twitter name if you have one) when you make the comment (otherwise I can't contact you) **

Kombucha on tap at Whole Foods

Check your local Whole Foods and see if they have G.T.'s Kombucha on tap in the smoothie and coffee section. The W.F. in Venice has it and it's great. They have 3 flavors of Kombucha and 3 sizes to choose from. Not only is it cheaper than buying a bottle (by about $.50) but you can ask them to put it in your own water bottle to be extra eco!

Kombucha update

It's been 7 days since I started brewing the actual Kombucha tea (and 4 weeks since I started growing my own scoby). I noticed bubbles forming around the inside top of the jar, so it's starting to carbonate. I tasted it to check the progress and it still tastes pretty sweet - I hope by the end of the weekend it will be ready.

I'm a little worried because I haven't truly isolated the Kombucha jar. I keep it out of direct sunlight on my desk so I can keep an eye on it. However, I'm supposed to keep it left undisturbed and in total darkness...I'm just so curious! I also took off the cloth and moved it to take photos! I probably should have left it alone...I wonder if any of this will really effect the final outcome.

Photos coming soon - I've been documenting everything for the past month!

Also, my friend Hannah is a Kombucha expert and she has a great blog and Kombucha Kamp in Los Angeles. Check out the interviews with her below.

Kombucha update

When I got home from Seattle I was excited to check up on my scoby (or, as I like to refer to it, my little jellyfish baby). I was thrilled to see that it has grown and became thicker! I think I'm about to ready to start the kombucha process, as it's been almost 3 weeks of growing the scoby. It's not as thick as some are in photos, but I think that's ok because it was home grown. 

I can't get over the fact that I grew it from a tiny, quarter size piece from High Country kombucha!

I've been taking pictures everyday to track the growth, and I will post those soon.

I learned today (through the internet) to keep an eye out for mold - luckily mine has none. I also discovered some pictures of scobys that look similar to mine - thin and with little dark strands. I'm excited to discover I'm doing it correctly!

Kombucha update

I have been growing my own Kombucha "scoby" for a few days now, and so far so good!

• I started with a bottle of Original High Country that had a lot of scoby threads/left-overs in it. 
• I emptied about half the bottle into a wine glass (because I didn't have any other glass container) and left it for 2 days. 
• Today, day 3, I bought a half-gallon glass container (99 cents at the 99 Cents Only Store!) and moved the Kombucha into that. 
• My scoby is already growing into a clear, jellyfish-like shape (pictures soon to come!). 
• I keep it on a kitchen table, covered with a thin towel. Apparently the ideal temp is about 75 degrees, which is perfect for L.A. weather!
  
• I'm going to watch it until it has expanded to all sides of the container, and has grown thick in width. According to some web sources, this can take up to 3 weeks.

This is a fun experiment!

Making my own Kombucha

I go through periods when I can't stop drinking kombucha, and I'm going through one now. I've been interested in making my own for a while, but never took the initiative. However, I am determined to do it now...well, not right now, but hopefully this week. = )

I want to try to make my own "scoby" from a purchased bottle, so I'm going to go to the CoOp and look for an unflavored bottle with a lot of "scoby" strands at the bottom.

Anyone got any words of wisdom?