Nexus - 0226 - New Times Magazine-pages

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— Kombucha — The Miracle 'Fungus' Kombucha ‘Fungus’ The Miracle Praised in Asia for millennia for its health- promoting properties, the Kombucha brew's growing popularity worldwide is no mere storm ina teacup! ‘0 one can say, for sure, how and where the Kombucha fungus originated, but we do know that it has been used for at least two thousand years. It does not really matter whether the Chinese, Koreans, Japanese or Russians were the first to ferment the fungus. To be exact, it isn't really a fungus as such, but rather a community of yeast and bacteria. One authority describes it as a lichen. The origin of the name could be Japanese, with kombu standing for the brown tea algae and cha for tea. The best description, in my opinion, is that of the herbalist, Pastor Weidinger, whom I have used as a source throughout this book. He says: "Kombucha tea is an ancient East Asiatic beverage which came out of the ocean... For three years I was a missionary on the island of Taiwan... This south-eastern coastal region with its subtropical climate and extended growing period made ideal conditions for grow- ing the tea, which was farmed in large areas. This province is regarded as the origin for "tea", ie., in Latin, Thea. The original name given by the Chinese writer Kuo-Po to the beverage extracted from these leaves was Tu or Tschuan. Today it is called Ch’a. In the province of Fukien, however, it is still called T’e. This has given me a closer understand- ing of the word tea. K'un-Pu-ch’a, a tea-like wine... “My missionary activities also required my travels to the islands of Quemoi and Matsu which are situated close to the mainland near the Province of Fukien. I was very impressed by a beverage which was served to me by the local people which had a sweet- sour taste and was very refreshing in the hot climate of the area. Was it wine which tasted like a delicious tea or an unusual tea that tasted like a rare wine? Notably, after drinking this beverage, I not only felt stronger after the long and tiresome walk but, strangely enough, felt healthier. In particular it helped my metabolism a great deal in this climate and made me feel very relaxed. When I asked what it was, K'un-Pu-ch'a came the reply. I was startled. "Tea which came from life in the ocean"? "Already in the Tsin-Dynasty, about 221 BC, it was known and honoured as a beverage with magical powers enabling people to live forever. The tea was given different names. One of the most famous was the "Godly Tsche". This particular tea was used as a remedy for chronic gastritis. People also tell of the Korean medicine man named Kom-bu who, in the year 414, prescribed the tea to heal the Japanese Emperor's disorders. The "Godly Tsche" came from China, via Korea to Japan where it was given the name "Tsche of Kombu".“ KOMBUCHA RESEARCH IN THE WESTERN WORLD The most famous research results come from the University of Omsk in Russia and, in the West, from the research of Dr Rudolf Sklenar. Dr Sklenar's research is often men- tioned in the German press. He came from Eastern Germany where Kombucha has been used since the turn of the century among ordinary people. He studied medicine in Prague and had his first contact with the Kombucha fungus in a monastery. He worked with the culture during the Second World War and based his scientific work upon Kombucha. In the 1960s he published his research in the scientific and general press, which resulted in increased awareness of Kombucha's healing and strengthening properties. Dr Sklenar used Kombucha successfully for diabetes, high blood pressure, all types of digestive prob- lems, stomach and bowel illnesses, rheumatism and gout. © 1994 by Harald W. Tietze Extracted with permission from his book Kombucha—The Miracle Fungus Published by Gateway Books, UK (2nd ed. 1995) JUNE - JULY 1995 NEXUS ¢ 45 ORIGIN OF THE KOMBUCHA 'FUNGUS"