Customer Reviews

Kombucha Phenomenon : The Miracle Health Tea: How to Safely Make and Use Kombucha

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Pryor's book is well-written and organized, making for easy use and interesting reading. I bought the book as a gift to a friend who shared her kombucha "mushroom" with me. The mushroom had been given to her and she wasn't sure how to make or use it. Now we're both benefitting. I mix the prepared tea with apple juice (1 part tea to two apple). It tastes deliciously like apple cider and I feel energetic after drinking it.

Betsy is the person who brought the Kombucha into the United States in the early 90's. She's the expert. In her book she tells you all about it. She gives instructions exactly how to do it safely and how to get the best "tea" possible. The text is comfortable to read. Kombucha is not for smokers though as it tries to "houseclean" the body so smokers can't use it. Kombucha is something you slowly build up on so start with 1/8 cup and then slowly build to 1.5 cups a day over a period of a couple of weeks. Muscle tone, skin tone, energy, etc. will be much improved. A person feels better with it as it is nutrition in a glass. Generally you drink it on an empty stomach like mornings. You "process" it for a length of time (a week+)until the solution has "developed" to the ph needed. You need to use it up before it has gone to far past its best ph level; it can be too tart after it has aged to long. It requires a "start" and a piece of kombucha to begin--green tea/black tea bags, white sugar, pure water and a clean clear glass container, with some muslim on the top to protect it. That's the beginning of the story...Read the book. Try it. Its incredible.

I chuckled that another review mentions "if you're an academic..." because I am, and I have to say, this book is not very well written at all. It's rambling and the grammar is poor. It is full of stream-of-consciousness anecdotes about the myriad of ways in which Kombucha can make you feel great and heal all your ills. Much of the book reads like a snake oil sales book, though the authors seem self-aware on this point.

The authors hearts are certainly in the right place. I can tell just reading this that they really want to help people and spread the word about kombucha, and I really appreciate that. They go to pains to collect and present some academic information on kombucha. The dearth of information is not their fault, and they do make an effort to present what little there is. As a chemist and chemical engineer, I found some of their data from Cornell to be interesting, helpful, and factual. I also enjoyed some of the anecdotes. It's interesting to see the collection of personal experience.

If kombucha instructions are all you're looking for, check out Betsy Prior's website, because you can download a printable version of these instructions for free. I love that the instructions (both in the book and online) are very visual, mostly done in pictures and diagrams. I'm dyslexic, so this is actually a big plus for me. They're clear, concise, and they make for great kombucha.

[...]

Long story short, I feel a bit guilty writing a critical review of this book because the authors seem so darn nice. I rather wish I could have edited this for them before it went to print. Despite this, I trust Betsy Prior and her methods. The woman knows what she's doing when it comes to making kombucha, and you can trust her to get you started safely and well.



Addendum:

If you're interested in my own kombucha experience, I am very happy with it. I drank it through my pregnancy because it was nice and sour and refreshing and a little effervescent. It made a good stand-in for alcoholic beverages when I couldn't have any. I found that it keeps my digestion going well. All my mommy friends complain of terrible constipation during pregnancy. I didn't have that problem at all, and I think I have kombucha to thank (though it's hard to prove it). I have shared the drink with my daycare provider who is suffering terribly from IBS symptoms. I told her to drink a little before and after meals. She claims that it stopped her diarrhea in its tracks. So there you have it! Turns out I have a snake-oil cure story of my own. I have my own theories about probiotics quelling overactive immune systems. Maybe introducing harmless yeasts and bacteria just gives your body something to fight other than itself. All speculative, but I think about it a lot. This may not be a miracle cure, but I think it's definitely worth a try if you're suffering from digestive upsets or any kind of allergies or other autoimmune problems. No promises, but this is ancient, healthy stuff, so you might as well give it a try and see how you do. The flavor is tart, and a bit like apple cider and vinegar. I like it. If it tastes too strong to you, try mixing it with fizzy water and a dash of juice..

I am so pleased with this book! Laurel Farms has been checked out by the government and passed every test!
The receipe is simple and the book tells you how many different things this tea has healed for other people.
Even gettting gray hair to turn back to its natural hair color. The tea rejuvenates the body and lets the body work more efficiently. I can't wait to make more and more tea and get my friends to drink it! Its naturally addictive!

I have been growing these mushrooms for years and was looking for some recent publication on this subject. This is a great book and has a very simple reciepe for cultivating kombucha.

***
This book is a great book for beginners to Kombucha, be it people who are just curious, or those who want to start drinking and making it for themselves. It has lots of good information on safety, how to make the Kombucha, mistakes to avoid, technical information about Kombucha, and the history of Kombucha. It is written in a very simple style and the process of making the tea is illustrated. This is a book that anyone can use, even children.

However, there are at least a couple of problems with the book. The most glaring one is that it purports that Kombucha can do many things to help medical conditions and other physical issues via anecdotal stories; I am afraid that it will get readers' hopes up who are ill. Even though the authors try to be balanced in reporting so many miracle stories, their book implies that Kombucha will cure ever ailment known to man. Throughout the book they repeat their advice to take miracle claims with a grain of salt, but then report miracle after miracle. I was hoping for something more grounded and scientific. Another problem is that the book is quite dated. People don't write letters anymore for information; they go on the Internet. Also, the simplistic tone just about drove me crazy; it seemed to be written for people who were not regular readers of books.

However, all that said, I'm glad I own the book, and I think it's a good reference. I just overlook all of the "miracle cure" stuff and keep the book for the rest of the information it holds that I can use. And there certainly is a lot of that.

Recommended, unless you're a medical professional (you won't make it through the book) or academic. For the rest of us who can overlook the flaws, it's fine.
***

The book itself came in great condition. The content was a bit weak. I thought I was getting Betsy's other book, but I decided not to send this back. The testimonials were not as amazing as I had hoped and some were poorly written. The rest of it was okay and I did learn some background history of the Kombucha mushroom as well as how to make the tea safely.

This book is the one to get if you're interested in brewing your own Kombucha Tea at home. I didn't realize that Kombucha has been around for so long. It really is a phenomenon! I have been giving away scoby's on craigslist and recommending this book to every person who picks one up. It's easy to understand and the pictures are helpful. The price is right too!

Very well written. Plenty of information. This book gives me the process from start to finish. A must read for all who are interested in making their own Kombucha.

Safe manual for beginners is a must, especially in processing of fermented product. Kombucha is one of that safe manual and a must for serious practioners.