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Latter : Kombucha

My first encounter with this beverage happened late last year, while visiting a friend on the arguably more 'crunchy' of our nation's coasts. I cannot say enough about this miracle elixir. Ok, so no miracles have actually manifested as a direct cause of my consuming it (that I'm aware of) but if you love your body, your health - then learn to love this drink. The smell and knowledge of how it's made may be initially a bit off-putting. Get over it. It's worth it. So worth it.
They've happily expanded their product line to include many-a flavors (mis-nomer as there is absolutely nothing artificial about it) ranging from strawberry, lavender & hibiscus infusions, guava, pomegranate blends, etc etc. It's not the easiest to find at your local bodega but I have a feeling more and more will be carrying GT's "Living Food for the Living Body".

Check out some cool scientific information on the...:

"The culture itself looks somewhat like a large pancake, and though often called a mushroom, a mother of vinegar or by the acronym SCOBY (for "Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast"). It is scientifically classified as a zoogleal mat."

A ZOOGLEAL MAT? That's pretty coooooooL!

I do realize that to make this sort of "fermented mushroom tea" a priority among the liquids you take in can be off-putting.

Maybe some drank would be better, no?
Water, sugar, purple.

Kombucha culture can dance around in my belly any day!

Because of its fermented nature, there's a slight, slight, %age of alcohol. The teeny little buzz procured from your first few sips of the bubbly adds a nice touch. Guaranteed smile generator.

http://www.synergydrinks.com/
From the site...
"Each batch is gently placed in a warm and spiritual environment where the walls are painted purple and spiritual music is played. Though it may sound silly, the most important thing that we do when making our batches is to give them LOTS of love. "

UH. That's incredible.

Some fun facts:

In his autobiography, Nobel Prize winner Alexandr Solzhenitsyn wrote that drinking Kombucha helped him survive the Siberian slave camps of the former Soviet Union.

Kombucha has been a health-promoting and life-enhancing wonder food since as early as the Tsin Chinese Dynasty of 221 BC. Its popularity has been documented throughout history in all corners of the world, from Russia to India, Germany to Japan.

The Kombucha organism is a symbiotic colony of yeasts and bacteria that form a strong membrane that covers the liquid/air interface of the vessel it grows in.

Kombucha proponents claim many advantages such as better experience with foods that 'stick' going down such as rice or pasta, increased energy, sharper eyesight, and better skin condition.

Kombucha is delicately cultured - some liken it to fermentation - for 30 days. During this period, essential nutrients form like active enzymes, viable probiotics, amino acids, antioxidants and polyphenols. All of these combine to create an elixir that immediately works with the body to restore balance and vitality.