Kombucha tea drink

Chef Klein dedicates her own book to the creepy mushroom

Alexandra Klein loves foraging in her garden for herbs that she can use to enrich kombucha. She shares her tips in her new book.

(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

It wasn't love at first sight between Alexandra Klein and the Kombucha mushroom. She has now dedicated an entire book to it.

"Here we could have blackberries or hazelnuts. Or some wild thyme" - when chef Alexandra Klein wanders through the garden, no herb goes undiscovered. Plants that other people simply walk past have taken a liking to the "herb lady". However, the real star of Klein's first book is not an herb, but a mushroom!

(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

"As a child, I saw the mushroom for the first time at my aunt's house. At the time, I thought it looked kind of disgusting," she laughs. In fact, the so-called "scoby" mushroom bears a certain resemblance to a jellyfish. Klein has since lost her fear of the slippery consistency. "Kombucha tastes wonderful and has many health benefits because it is said to have probiotic properties." Depending on its composition, the drink is said to have an antibacterial effect, aid digestion and strengthen the immune system.

However, it takes a few skillful tricks to obtain the beneficial juice. Alexandra Klein has recorded the most important ones in her book. "I gained my knowledge from very detailed scripts on kombucha production. It was therefore important to me to keep this extensive information short and to the point. So that it is easy to understand." There is just one thing she never tires of emphasizing: "As soon as the finished fermented kombucha has been bottled and herbs have been added, the bottles must be regularly aerated, otherwise there will be too much pressure and a risk of explosion!"

"Kombucha selbst gemacht" has been published by Benevento Publishing and is available now.