

Time magazine reports that foods that have gone through a natural fermentation process (yogurt, for example) contain probiotic qualities that may improve digestion and gut health and promote a healthy microbiome, but nutrition experts say more research is needed. It indicates the drink has live cultures in it. This is normal and is part of the bacterial culture. You may also notice that some kombucha has a few visible “floaters” and sediment in it. For this reason, most of my family didn’t really care for the kombucha we had at the family farm, although my sister and I both thought it wasn’t bad, and we appreciated that it wasn’t heavily sweetened. Kombucha may be a bit of an acquired taste, and some people describe it as having a flavor similar to apple cider vinegar, both tart and slightly sweet. The fermentation process leaves behind a bubbly, fizzy drink that is not overly sweet. It’s a rubbery, squishy blob often called a “mother.” The SCOBY is placed in a mix of tea and sugar, which goes through a fermentation process in which, according to my bottle of GT’s kombucha, the SCOBY consumes the sugars and caffeine and “transforms the tea into this naturally effervescent drink once known as ‘the tea of immortality.'”

Kombucha is made using a SCOBY, which stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. Kombucha is a fermented drink made with tea, often with juice, spices, and other flavors added. My focus here will be on the three brands that Aldi stocks all the time in its stores. container (20.5 cents an oz.) as a limited-time offer. In August of 2019, for example, Aldi is selling Health-Ade Bubbly Rose Kombucha and Health-Ade Cherry Berry Kombucha for $3.28 for a 16-oz. I figured now that I’d tried quality kombucha, I could speak some to what Aldi offers.Īldi sells three brands of kombucha as Regular Buy products that are in stores all the time: VitaLife (an Aldi house brand), as well as GT’s and Wonder Drink (two brands that are available at other retailers besides Aldi).Īldi also sometimes sells other brands of kombucha as limited-time ALDI Finds (Special Buys) that are in stores for a short period and then are gone. I remembered I’d seen bottles of kombucha in Aldi’s refrigerated section. I had never tried the fermented, probiotic-laden drink before, and where better to sample a new food than at a place where you know you’ll be getting a quality product and the real deal? I got a blueberry-lemongrass kombucha and shared it with some other family members so we could all taste it, with mixed reviews. While attending a family reunion at a relative’s sustainable farm this summer, I noticed the farm’s on-site shop sold kombucha.
