Probiotic Drinks: What, How, Why

Our diet is very important to us. And it has probably never been more evident than now. We are constantly looking for healthier alternatives, both to eat and to drink, and of new and fast formulas to store all the nutrients that our body needs every day.

Today Summum We are talking about probiotic drinks, the new healthy liquid trend.

For starters, what are probiotic drinks?

Many have existed for centuries, but probiotic drinks They are the new frontier of healthy drinks. These drinks are the result of a more or less slow process of fermentation of various ingredients in a liquid such as water, milk or vinegar.

Companies that combinations are endless and this versatility, together with their flavor and probiotic properties, makes these drinks a very attractive alternative beyond smoothies and cold-pressed juices.

Why should we take them?

Well, for the same reason we should introduce probiotic foods in our diet (within a healthy, varied and balanced diet). Probiotics are living organisms, mainly yeasts and “Good bacteria” that act positively on health. Among its main functions are promote healthy digestion and strengthen the immune system.

Two key aspects that greatly influence how we feel and how we look. Fermented foods are a good way to include probiotics in your daily diet. El kimchi, miso, sauerkraut and probiotic drinks are some of these foods.

Kombucha, planetary success

La Kombucha it is perhaps the most famous of the probiotic drinks. It is a traditional Asian drink made from sweetened and fermented tea.

The “spark” of the fermentation process is the scoby, a gelatinous mass composed of bacteria and yeast. Once the fermentation process is finished, the kombucha reduces its sugar content to a minimum and, on the other hand, acquires acids (on which its flavor and texture also depend), vitamins, antioxidants and probiotics.

In the market there are many brands (such as Komvida o Kombutxa) with an attractive and varied offer of kombucha. In Barcelona, ​​in the Kobucha Lab de Flax & Kale Passage and in the other restaurants of the group Teresa Carles They serve some of the most original kombuchas of the moment. In addition, this ancient drink is gradually imposing itself in the world of cocktails.

Do you know what jun is?

El June is a probiotic drink similar to Kombucha, made from green or white tea. To prepare it, you need spring or filtered water, tea bags and leaves, a previous jun tea fermentation and jun mushroom.

Is a slightly smaller mushroom that of kombucha and that, unlike this, it ferments in green tea and pure honey instead of black tea and sugar.

From milk or water: kefir, the fashionable probiotic

Kefir It is a fermented drink that is made by adding a “live” ingredient to milk or water, kefir nodules or granules. These nodules contain coagulated casein, yeasts and bacteria, which feed on the sugar in milk, but without mixing with it, as happens with yogurt.

Water kefir is a good choice for those who want to do without milk without giving up the benefits that this drink can bring. In this case, the recipe uses water, fruit, sugar, lemon and granules that are completely similar to those of milk kefir, but more transparent and gelatinous. Kefir can be taken alone or mixed into juices and smoothies.

Apparently, the word kefir comes from ‘keif’, which means well-being. A declaration of intentions.

Beet Kvass: Gourmet Bubbles

It is important to note that there are two types of fermentation. The first occurs thanks to a starter culture. This is the case with kefir and kombucha. The second is the fspontaneous ermentation, which occurs when yeasts and natural bacteria found in the air combine with sugars from fruits, vegetables and roots.

El kvas, another probiotic drink, belongs to this second group. The beet It is made with water, beets and salt. An acidic and slightly salty drink that can be adapted to everyone’s taste. Try it, for example, with ginger and orange or with spices!

Tepache or shrub: choose your favorite drink!

Tepache is a Mexican fermented drink. In pre-Hispanic times (yes, it has existed ever since!) It was prepared with corn. Now it is made with pineapple peels and pulp, water and panela sugar. You just have to put the pineapple in a jar with water and sugar, cover and wait three to five days for it to ferment.

Contains little alcohol and with a touch of ginger it becomes an irresistibly fresh drink, as well as healthy. On el shrub, a fermented drink from Eastern Europe, vinegar replaces water as a preparation liquid. First a kind of syrup is made with fruit and sugar and then it is mixed with vinegar.

The result will surprise you!

Ginger beer

So is there something better than a probiotic drink? Of course: a probiotic drink with ginger!

Ginger is a rhizome with a high antioxidant power and a authentic superfood (It is also rich in vitamins and minerals). In addition, it is a good digestive and a stimulant of the receptors of serotonin, the hormone of happiness.

La ginger beer (also ginger bug) is the result of a fermentation process of a mixture of ginger, sugar and water. It takes four to eight days to ferment, but the wait is worth it. A bombshell.

And for dessert: amazake

Have you heard of amazake? It is a Japanese drink with a sweet taste and probiotic properties. Unlike other beverages, amazake (literally “sweet sake”) is obtained through a very short fermentation of just one day. It contains rice, water and koji mushroom, which starts the fermentation and gives a sweet flavor to the mixture.

El amazake It can be taken both hot and cold and also as a meal, only in this case the consistency will be more that of a cream. In Spain, it is made, among many other things, by the brand kensho. It can be purchased both through its website and in stores Ecoveritas.

How to make your own probiotic drinks

Making probiotic drinks at home is not only fun, but easy too. Just need have glass jars and bottles, a muslin to cover the mixture, but without preventing oxygen from passing through, a mixer or blender and little else. Among the ingredients, Beyond fruit, water, tea or milk, mushrooms or kefir grains are the most difficult to find.

Nothing that cannot be solved in organic stores or an internet forum! Of course, you have to be able to have recipes reliable and variable. A good clue is Caroline Hwang’s book published by Lunwerg: 67 very original recipes to turn probiotic drinks into one more food in your diet.