Workshop experience

During the fermentation workshop, we learnt about the fermentation of Kombucha. Prior to the workshop, I never heard of kombucha and never knew that tea could be fermented. In essence, kombucha is a fermented tea beverage, which is fermented using a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts (SCOBY). It is slightly alcoholic due to the presence of yeast, and slightly acidic due to the presence of bacteria. The fermentation period can be varied depending on preferences of the consumer. For example, if someone prefers the beverage to be more sour, then the fermentation period should be extended so as to allow more acids to accumulate in the kombucha.

During the workshop, we were all given a jar and a bottle to bring home and try fermenting kombucha on our own at home.  This is what they look like after a week. It looks like a layer of cellulose has formed on the surface.

I noticed that there were a lot of bubbles that formed. I think that these bubbles should be filled with carbon dioxide as yeast produced carbon dioxide as they respire.

The presenter touched on an interesting topic which is “Fermentation vs Spoilage”. I think it is a very relevant topic that we will all face from time to time in our daily lives. He shared that fermentation is deliberate, desired and palatable, whereas spoilage is uncontrolled, unwanted and unsafe. However, I think that it is still quite difficult for typical consumers (like myself) to judge if a fermented food is still edible. I face this problem at home as there is a container of kimchi in the fridge and every time I consider taking some to eat, I would take a sniff first and I’d feel uncertain because it does smell like spoiled food. Now looking at the kombucha from the workshop, I cannot deny that I am still feeling uncertain about consuming it because I am no expert in fermenting foods and I don’t think that I have enough knowledge to conclude if the kimchi/kombucha I have at home are still edible or not. I would feel a lot more comfortable eating such fermented foods in restaurants or prepared by people who are properly trained. However, I do think that DIY fermented foods are really interesting. I hope that this knowledge gap between typical consumers and fermentation experts can be bridged, so that we can comfortably ferment our own foods at home from time to time.