If you haven’t heard of kombucha, then you’ve probably been living under a rock. For the Kombucha-curious, this fermented beverage has been turning heads in the recent past. Health freaks have been really going all gaga over the benefits of this drink and even coming up with much new and innovative flavours of kombucha for decades. In fact, kombucha has undergone a form of renaissance and can be found everywhere from upscale supermarkets to gas stations. But there’s another gut-friendly tea that’s just as powerful for our microbiome but comparatively lesser known - JUN. Jun, better known as the “Champagne of Kombucha”, is a similar probiotic tea making circles in the ferment world.
Adding to the main difference between Jun Vs Kombucha, Akash Devaraju & Noopur Porwal of Local Ferment Co. Bangalore based microbrewery & kitchen making all things probiotic and is revitalizing the art and science of fermentation using regenerative ingredients, adds adds The core difference lies in the meticulous process of brewing. Kombucha embodies a rare and regenerative Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY), black tea, and sugar to produce a strong, sparkling tea raved about for its benefits of detoxifying and energizing effects.
Jun, on the other hand, includes all that goodness, but instead of sugar, the base is raw, wild and unprocessed honey – making it that much better for you. Fresh juices, spices, fruits and a myriad of other flavourings are often added to both kombucha and jun. These two aged teas share much for all intents and purpose, which may be why the two gut-friendly refreshments are regularly lumped together.
Kombucha, the gut-healthy, low-sugar beverage that is mostly fermented is suddenly seeing much attention and praise mostly by those who are seeking non-alcoholic beverage choices. It all health in a bottle. Furthering adding, Akash Devaraju & Noopur Porwal says “Kombucha is traditionally sweetened with cane sugar, but Jun is adapted to thrive on raw honey. While the ingredients may seem similar, the raw honey and green tea create a flavor that tends to be crispier on the tongue than kombucha. Moreover, with the addition of honey and zero sugars, Jun becomes a beverage that is both PRE and PRO biotic in nature. That’s literally double the goodness of Kombucha”. Jun sees a delicate taste along with some high-quality ingredients. Jun is also more milder and taste less sour than traditional kombucha.
Talking about the taste they add “Jun is also by and large lighter and fizzier tastier in flavor, due to its unique microbial fermentation. With a range of gourmet flavors like Orange, Rose & Cacao and Blackberry & Rosemary, just to name a few, Jun shines as a flavorful, effervescent and invigorating beverage. One can pick up the slight notes of honey along with the infused herbs, spices and fresh fruits. The fewer the ingredients in the bottle, the more each one gets an opportunity to shine, resulting in a truly flavorful and nutrient-rich beverage such as Jun.
Between the two the fermentation time of Kombucha is much longer than that of Jun. Nevertheless, the meticulous brewing process of Jun takes about a week (depending on the strength of the culture).