The naturally effervescent fermented drink made with inexperienced tea and uncooked honey, as a substitute of black tea and cane sugar, provides a crisper and lighter trace of flavours than of the standard, vinegary kombucha, incomes Jun the title of “Champagne of Kombucha”.
Brimming with health benefits as a result of presence of dwelling micro organism, yeasts, natural acids and antioxidants, Jun is brewed by fermenting sweetened tea. The inexperienced tea is of course sweetened with honey and fermented with a symbiotic tradition of micro organism and yeast (SCOBY).
Historical past of Jun
With a wealthy non secular historical past courting again 1000’s of years, the bubbly probiotic tonic is believed to have its roots in historical Tibetan tradition. The historical past and origin of the drink relies on a folklore claiming Jun to be a sacred elixir that was once consumed by Himalayan monks to achieve non secular enlightenment. The main points relating to its previous are obscure at finest.
Legend has it that the fizzy, fermented beverage was born out of heirloom cultures handed down from Lao Tzu, the traditional Chinese language thinker and author of the Tao Te Ching, to the monks of Bon in Tibet for the aim of vitality cleaning.
The absence of contemporary affect on the distant area of Tibet and the truth that Jun is being brewed by monks even immediately furthers the assumptions about its historical roots. Provided that Jun cultures are able to rising repeatedly and survive in perpetuity, these heirloom cultures are prone to be in existence for 1000’s of years.
Regardless of the compelling accounts and assumptions of Jun and its historical past, tracing again to Bon monks, there’s little proof accessible to help the claims of it being sacred. Whether or not or not it’s a thousand years outdated or a renaissance of its sister brew, kombucha, the probiotic drink is a scrumptious different you probably have moved on from the kombucha tea bandwagon.
Jun vs Kombucha
Substances
The first distinction between Jun and kombucha is the bottom elements. Whereas Jun is made out of inexperienced tea and uncooked honey, kombucha makes use of black tea and refined or cane sugar as its fermentation medium.
Flavour
Jun has a extra delicate and delicate style as in comparison with kombucha. Its fermentation colonies feed off honey somewhat than sugar. It isn’t as acidic as its sister brew. Jun additionally tends to be fizzier than kombucha. The intestine health-boosting tonic is a bit candy, pleasantly tart and holds much less of a vinegary chew than conventional kombucha.
Alcohol Content material
The alcohol content material in Jun is increased than that of kombucha, owing to the elements with which the drinks are cultured. As in comparison with cane sugar, which incorporates increased percentages of fructose and glucose, honey has decrease quantities of the 2. This, coupled with the variations within the strains and yeasts at play, Jun lends a better alcohol content material, which fits as much as two p.c.
The yeast or SCOBY digests the sugars within the honey, changing it into carbon dioxide and alcohol. The micro organism additional processes this combination into wholesome natural acids, enzymes and nutritional vitamins to provide a tasty and wholesome drink.
Fermentation Time
Whereas kombucha is fermented over a interval of seven to 30 days, Jun requires a shorter window of time to be prepared. The latter is fermented in simply 3 to 7 days. One other issue concerned within the fermentation course of is the temperature at which the drinks are brewed. Whereas Jun is cultured at a cool room temperature, kombucha is ready at a temperature which is 5 to 10 levels hotter.
The way to brew Jun tea
With convincing wellness potential packed within the fermented beverage, health-seekers can brew their very own Jun tea at residence with simply a few elements. Brewing Jun or kombucha is a two-step course of consisting of main and secondary fermentation. Step one is once you make the beverage and the second is once you bottle the tonic so as to add flavour and carbonation.
In step one, the SCOBY transforms the honey within the candy inexperienced tea into the marginally bitter, tangy and candy Jun that everybody loves. By the tip of this stage, you have got a Jun tea, however it could be a little bit flat and flavourless. That is the place the second spherical of fermentation is available in.
Within the second a part of this course of, it’s best to enable the drink to ferment a little bit longer in an hermetic bottle for 3 to 7 days and may add flavours like hibiscus, rosemary or basil based mostly on what you like. This allows the yeast to naturally carbonate the beverage in an hermetic atmosphere.
Jun tea recipe
Substances
For making this effervescent and mildly candy and bitter beverage, you want 8 cups of filtered and purified water, 2 teaspoons loose-leaf inexperienced tea or 2 inexperienced tea baggage, half a cup of uncooked honey and 1 Jun SCOBY for the fermentation. Half a cup of beforehand brewed Jun tea additionally is useful throughout this course of.
Provides required
You solely want hermetic brewing jars, cheesecloth and some fermentation-grade bottles for this recipe.
Directions
To organize the inexperienced tea and honey, carry the water to roughly 80 levels celsius in a kettle. Within the meantime, unfold the free inexperienced tea leaves in a big jar or pitcher. Pour the recent water over the tea and let it simmer and infuse for no less than 3 and as much as 10 minutes.
As soon as that is allowed to steep, pressure the tea by way of a fine-mesh sieve right into a jar. Steeping is the method of extracting the flavour and health-promoting compounds from the solids used to make tea. Let the concoction cool right down to room temperature earlier than you begin the brewing course of. Add the uncooked honey to this combination to provide it a barely candy flavour with floral notes. Stir until the honey is totally dissolved.
Subsequent, add the SCOBY and its liquid starter, together with half a cup of Jun tea brewed in a earlier batch, to the brand new tea and canopy it with cheesecloth or muslin material or perhaps a espresso filter. Enable this tonic to ferment for 3 to five days or till it provides off a faintly candy and tart scent.
As soon as that is completed, rigorously extract the Jun SCOBY layer and slowly stir the Jun tea. Reserve half a cup of this on your subsequent batch, similar to you’d do whereas getting ready do-it-yourself curd or yoghurt. You may devour the recent Jun tea instantly, however a second spherical of fermentation for enhanced carbonation and a deeper flavour profile is advisable. You may retailer the microbes (SCOBY) and the half cup reserved tea within the fridge for as much as every week on your subsequent batch.
Secondary fermentation
For the secondary fermentation, stir the completed tea as soon as once more and pour it into pint-sized hermetic bottles to decant it. At this level, you may optionally add fruits, herbs or juice to jazz it up. Enable this combination to the tradition at room temperature for one more 1 to three days to enhance its style and effervescence. As soon as completed, benefit from the tea as is or with a few ice cubes. This tea might be saved within the fridge for as much as 3 months.
