Jun, or Xun, is a fermented health tonic similar to kombucha, differing only in that its base ingredients are honey and green tea instead of cane sugar and black tea. Jun’s origins have not been conclusively proven, but it is thought to have roots in Tibet and northern China. Jun has a lighter more delicate flavor profile, is more effervescent and less sour than traditional kombucha.
- Jun Kombucha is made by fermenting honey?, tea?, and an amount of finished Jun with a SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast)
- The Honey feeds the SCOBY allowing vitamins, probiotics, prebiotics and amino acids to develop during fermentation.
- These compounds and the good bacteria in Junbucha are essential for good gut health which is linked to over-all well being?.
Jun VS. Kombucha
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT JUN:
- Jun fermentation colonies feed off honey rather than sugar
- Jun SCOBY is a distinctly different culture with its own unique flavor profile and benefits
- The scoby is lighter and paler in color, but also rubbery like that of Kombucha
- The tonic traditionally uses green or white tea as a base, not black tea
- Jun needs a shorter time window to ferment; normally a period of about 3-7 days, temperature dependent
- It prefers colder brewing temperatures
- The best Jun drinks are believed to originate from the original heirloom cultures in the East
- Usually, the cultures are more expensive and harder to come by due to their still relative rarity
- Known as the champagne of kombucha, due to a gentler fizz, slightly sweeter flavor profile and often floral notes depending on the tea used
- Jun SCOBYs reproduce at a slightly slower rate than their Kombucha cousins
- The alcohol produced by the yeast is also broken down and instead turns into a health-giving organic acid.
- Said to aid in digestion, energy levels and immune boosting (likely due to the honey)
- Can be used in a host of other recipes, in anything from pickling vegetables to a sourdough starter
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT KOMBUCHA:
- Kombucha is brewed or fermented over a period of 7-30 days but on average 5-14 days
- Likes warm, humid climates
- The culture is traditionally brewed with black tea
- Kombucha is sweetened with sugar
- A kombucha scoby culture essentially looks like a pinkish brown rubbery flapjack due to the tannins in black tea.
- After the fermentation period in which the scoby digests the sugar and caffeine, the tea is infused with vitamins, minerals and enzymes
- Somewhat revered as a healing tonic in bringing the body back in balance by detoxifying the liver and alkalizing the body among a host of other beneficial attributes
- Can be used in a host of other recipes, in anything from pickling vegetables to a sourdough starter
- Makes a fizzy drink similar in taste to sparkling apple cider