Why is kombucha booming?
You've surely heard of Kombucha countless times if bubbly, healthy drinks are your favorites. It's undeniable that today it is a trending drink that has been gaining more and more followers. Its popularity has skyrocketed, and it's no wonder, its health benefits are many: it improves digestion, contains natural probiotics, antioxidants, and vitamins…
The rise of healthy eating has positioned this drink as a true source of health, and it's not just hearsay; there's a scientific basis refuted by nutritionists. Its consumption has grown exponentially, and today, it's not uncommon to hear "I'll have a kombucha" on Spanish terraces.
MUN Ferments: How the first Spanish artisanal kombucha was born
But do you know the people behind its great popularity in Spain? Mercè and Jordi are the creators of MUN Ferments, the first Spanish company to produce highly healthy artisanal kombuchas. They differ from others on the market because they have the lowest residual sugar percentage in the European market. Their search for the perfect healthy and sustainable fermented drink has led them to create delicious natural kombuchas. Today we speak with them to learn a little more about their wonderful project.
Interview with MUN Kombucha
What is MUN kombucha and how did the idea for the project come about? Who is behind it?
Mūn Ferments is a small company with a very big goal: to improve the health of those who consume our products. Our passion for life, and more specifically for fermented foods, led us to the path of crafting the most delicious and healthy kombucha on the market.
Behind Mūn Kombucha are an engineer, Jordi, and a journalist, Mercè. Jordi was diagnosed at age 13 with Gilbert's syndrome, a condition that affects between 5 and 10% of the population and compromises liver detoxification. It's not serious, but it can cause discomfort such as constant headaches, muscle aches, and fatigue. In the search to feel well and to improve the health of his entire family—our youngest son has multiple allergies—we discovered fermented foods, first, and later kombucha. The burden Jordi lifted, as he literally describes it, was so great that together we decided to undertake and launch the first brewery dedicated to producing kombucha with natural and organic ingredients, packaged in glass. Mūn Ferments was born.
The goal, from the beginning, has been to make the healthiest product possible. That's why we package in glass, which is recyclable and reusable, as well as inert, so it doesn't interfere with the liquid it contains. Our commitment was also to make it a truly sustainable Kombucha. And, thanks to our exclusive fermentation process, we have managed to make it the only unpasteurized kombucha that doesn't need to be refrigerated due to its extremely low residual sugar content.
You have been proponents of kombucha nationwide for over 7 years. Why did you decide to bet on a disruptive and healthy soft drink?
We were the first to massively commercialize kombucha, to make its benefits known, and to put it on everyone's lips. There was no brand fully committed to it.
When we wanted to start consuming it at home, in specialized stores, no one had kombucha. It had to be ordered. Once we managed to try a commercial one, and being as we were immersed in the world of fermented foods—yogurt, kefir, water kefir, sourdough bread, gluten-free sourdough bread, kimchi, sauerkraut... we thought it couldn't be that hard to make ;) The results were so good that we decided to make a radical change in our lives and launched a real adventure: a kombucha workshop to make the kombucha we would have liked to find when we decided to consume it.
Could you tell us a bit more about your brand philosophy?
When we started, we were very clear that the goal was to make a super healthy Kombucha, but also one that respected the environment as much as possible. Seven years after that zero day, we can say that sustainability is one of our hallmarks. Out of respect for the product, we chose to package in glass, which is recyclable and reusable, as well as inert, so it doesn't interfere with the liquid it contains.
In our plant, we use clean energy, we have installed systems for minimum consumption and the reuse of cold and heat, and we optimize the process as much as possible so that energy expenditure is as low as possible.
Our exclusive fermentation is very long, exceeding 30 days. This allows us to produce kombucha with the lowest residual sugar of all those marketed in Europe. This means that, despite not being pasteurized to keep its properties intact, it does not require refrigeration for transport or storage. Thus, the CO2 emissions into the atmosphere are up to 180 times lower than other fermented tea brands.
Oh, and we were the first to opt for serving it in barrels so that stores can refill bottles (reusing them) or so that it can be served in bars and restaurants like one would order a beer.
For those less familiar with the topic, how is kombucha produced and what ingredients does it consist of?
The simple definition of kombucha is that it is fermented tea. Typically, green or black tea is used, sweetened with sugar. A colony of yeasts and bacteria, known as a mother SCOBY or fungus, is added to the initial infusion. These work symbiotically, meaning together, to convert it into a drink rich in organic acids, probiotics, vitamins, and enzymes.
In the first fermentation, it is just water, tea, sugar, and the starter (SCOBY). In the second, fruits, vegetables, herbs, tubers... are added in the form of cold-pressed juice or infusion, depending on each variety.
Unlike other kombuchas on the market, yours does not need to be refrigerated, which is a very interesting fact. Why is that? Are the microorganisms still alive?
Microorganisms are not preserved by cold. Cold is necessary to control the kombucha, once bottled, from continuing to ferment if it contains too much sugar.
Kombutxa contains so little residual sugar, between 0.1 and 1.8 grams per 100 milliliters (up to 18 times less than other brands in the case of our variety with the least sugar) that it does not need refrigeration to control possible over-fermentation.
Your kombuchas have the lowest residual sugar on the European market and you have managed to adapt them to all palates. What do you think makes them so different?
People who care about their health, starting from within, know how to choose. Our challenge has been to make a kombucha with almost no sugar taste delicious, appealing to as many people as possible. Little by little, we all take better care of ourselves, monitor our diet, and are aware that we are what we eat. We can confirm that many people appreciate being able to drink a healthy, low-sugar soft drink, which is essentially what Kombutxa is. Bubbles? Yes. Incredible flavor that brings you health every time you drink it? Also yes.
We are particularly struck by the wide variety of flavors you offer, and if we had to pick one that is truly curious, it would be the Formentera seawater one—a risky proposal. What benefits does it offer, and why from Formentera?
We are big fans of the sea; in fact, our workshop is just a couple of streets from the beach, and we are truly privileged. But it's not just about living near the sea that makes us unconditional lovers of the marine environment. Seawater offers an infinite list of benefits for our body, it contains all the elements of the periodic table, and since the beginning of the world, it has been used for healing.
Producing the Kombutxa Isotonic was a challenge because, one way or another, we wanted to incorporate seawater into one of our varieties. And upon meeting the people from Agua de Mar de Ibiza y Formentera, it became crystal clear to us. It had to be the water they collect from the seabed, very far from the coast, during very specific times of the year, and with extreme care throughout the entire process.
To launch it, we did a crowdfunding and people responded massively to create a drink designed for athletes, for post-exercise recovery. Later, many consumers became addicted (hehehe) and consume it at any time. We must say that it is also magnificent to accompany appetizers: some cockles, some olives, and an Isotonic are pure bliss.
The sweet contrast (our Kombuchas have almost no sugar but have a sweet aftertaste) with the saltiness of the seawater is incredible. We add a little apple juice, lemongrass infusion, and a hint of stevia. The result is incredibly addictive.
For those who still haven't dared to take the plunge, what benefits should we know that kombucha provides to the body?
The benefits of kombucha can be summarized in 3: it is detoxifying, digestive, and probiotic. It greatly facilitates digestion, helps boost liver function, and is packed with life: natural probiotics.
If one thing is clear, it's that it's a trending drink. Does its consumption increase seasonally or is it consumed the same way throughout the year?
Initially, Kombutxa consumption was concentrated in the warmer months. Gradually, as people got to know it, tried it, and became fond of it, it has spread throughout the year.
You have a very extensive catalog of flavors, which ones are the most popular among your loyal customers?
The classics are the bestsellers. We started with Ginger (with ginger and apple) and Hibiscus (with hibiscus infusion and pomegranate), and they are still a hit. However, the ranking is not so clear :P To each their own, as the saying goes. There are many fans of Natural, crazy about Paleobirras, fanatics of Isotonic, obsessed with Verbena, lovers of Flowers, and followers of Green…
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For beginners who want to try this drink, which ones would you recommend?
We always recommend starting with Natural, because it has no additives in the second fermentation and is the easiest and sweetest of the 9 we make. From there, it's all about experimenting, which is why there's so much to choose from!
In addition to kombucha, you offer the first "non-beer on the market." What is Paleo birra?
Paleobirra is a true diversion. One night—it had been a couple of years since we were constantly making Kombutxa—we realized that we did miss beer a bit. What if we made a kombucha that tasted like beer? So, we fully immersed ourselves in experimenting and trying different hops. We named it Paleobirra because it contains no cereals, of course it's gluten-free, and like all our Kombuchas, it's alcohol-free.
It tastes, smells, and looks like beer, but it's not beer. That's why we call it a 'non-beer.'
Paleo Birra, the first "non-beer on the market." With all the taste of beer and no alcohol content.
I'm sure our readers are now keen to try one of your Kombuchas. Where can they get them?
We sell them through our website Kombutxa.com/shop and in over 8,000 physical establishments: organic stores and supermarkets, herbalists, gourmet shops, bars, restaurants, sports and yoga centers… Well, if they don't have it in their trusted circle, they should contact us to sell it!
