Zestea Lemongrass Kombucha

Lemongrass is one of seven flavours in Zestea's core kombucha lineup, alongside Original, Roselle, Lemon Mint, Ginger Turmeric, Raw Oolong and Raw Tea Hop. Zestea describes kombucha as the product of mixing a SCOBY — a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast — with sweetened tea, the acetic acid bacteria and yeast reacting with the sweet tea to yield a sour, slightly effervescent fermented drink. The brand traces its own beginnings to home brewing kombucha, and it builds its individual flavours from natural herbal plants, lemongrass among them.^[1],[2],[3]

Zestea states that its kombucha is made from tea, water, cane sugar, SCOBY and herbal seasoning.

Honey-Scented Black Tea — Base. The kombucha base is brewed from organic honey-scented black tea sourced from Nantou, Taiwan.

Water — Dilution. The brewing water comes from Yilan.

Raw Cane Sugar — Fermentation Substrate. Zestea uses raw cane sugar sourced from Brazil as the sugar for its kombucha production.

SCOBY — Fermentation Culture. The sweetened tea is fermented with a SCOBY, the symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast that drives acidification and effervescence.

Lemongrass — Herbal Character. Lemongrass is the herbal plant that distinguishes this expression within the range, carrying the fresh herbal lemongrass notes that define it.

Zestea ferments its sweet tea with the culture for 20 to 30 days, during which the yeast and acetic acid bacteria consume more than 90% of the sugar. The company elsewhere gives the fermentation window for its kombucha as 25 to 30 days, yielding a beverage it describes as full of live probiotics, organic acids and antioxidants. The kombucha is not pasteurised, in order to preserve those live probiotics.

Nose. A fresh herbal aroma, with the lemongrass reading clearly.^[4]

Palate. Bright fruity acidity carries the fresh herbal lemongrass character, with natural acidity and gentle effervescence holding it in balance.^[4]

Structure. Only the following points are described in the available evidence.^[4]

• Acidity: bright and fruity; natural
• Effervescence: gentle

Zestea recommends the Lemongrass Kombucha with Southeast Asian dishes: Thai basil pork, green curry, Vietnamese spring rolls and Thai seafood salad.^[4]

Production. Zestea Kombucha is crafted in small batches from selected local ingredients and undergoes its 25 to 30 day fermentation in Yilan, Taiwan. Production takes place in a facility holding both HACCP and ISO22000 certifications. The brand was founded in 2018 by Sharon Li Jialin and Cindy Chen Xindi.

Ingredients Policy. Zestea says its kombucha contains no additives, and that authenticity, naturalness and the absence of added chemical flavourings are its basic principles. The company states that over 95% of its kombucha ingredients are sustainably grown, supporting local small farmers, and that it works with local organic tea leaves.