Zestea Raw Oolong Kombucha

Zestea Raw Oolong Kombucha is built on raw oolong tea — leaf that has not been roasted over slow fire. That choice of unroasted leaf is what separates it from the roasted oolong style, and Zestea attributes the drink's floral aromatics and umami character directly to it. Raw Oolong sits in Zestea's core kombucha lineup of seven flavours alongside Original, Roselle, Lemongrass, Lemon Mint, Ginger Turmeric and Raw Tea Hop.^[1]

No ingredient declaration specific to this bottling has been published. Zestea states that its kombucha is made from tea, water, cane sugar, SCOBY and herbal seasoning, with raw cane sugar sourced from Brazil.

Raw Oolong Tea — Aromatic Base. The defining component is raw oolong tea, used without the slow-fire roasting applied to traditional oolong. Zestea credits the unroasted leaf with the drink's distinctive floral aroma, its fresh sweetness and an umami note on the palate.^[1]

Zestea's kombucha production, described at brand level, follows the standard SCOBY route: a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast is combined with sweetened tea, and the acetic acid bacteria and yeast act on the sugar to produce a sour, lightly effervescent ferment. The company gives a fermentation window of 20–30 days, over which the yeast and acetic acid bacteria consume more than 90% of the sugar; elsewhere it specifies 25–30 days for its kombucha, brewed in small batches in Yilan and yielding live probiotics, organic acids and antioxidants. The kombucha is not pasteurised, which Zestea says preserves those live cultures.

Nose. Zestea's descriptions of the aroma differ. One set of notes gives a unique floral aroma, attributed to the unroasted leaf; another describes the roasted aroma characteristic of traditional oolong tea.^[1],[2]

Palate. The palate is described as fresh and sweet, with an umami note, closing on the sweet lingering aftertaste characteristic of oolong tea.^[2]

Structure. Only two structural points are supported by the published notes.^[2]

• Sweetness: fresh and sweet
• Length: sweet, lingering aftertaste

Production. Zestea, founded in 2018 by Sharon Li Jialin and Cindy Chen Xindi, began with home-brewed kombucha and produces its kombucha in small batches in Yilan, in a facility carrying both HACCP and ISO22000 certification.

Ingredients Policy. Zestea states that its kombucha contains no additives, that its beverages are made on principles of authenticity, naturalness and no added chemical flavourings, and that over 95% of the ingredients used in its kombucha are sustainably grown in support of local small farmers.