“If there was a way of disguising that kombucha was fermented tea, I would. It doesn’t sound appealing. A dark, stewed, foaming gravy appears in the mind’s eye, yet the reality is delightfully different,” says food writer Mark Diacono, author of new book Ferment.

“Originating in China, and traditionally enjoyed for good health, it is simple and cheap to make and is endlessly adaptable to the flavours you fancy.”

To make kombucha, you’ll need a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) – you can buy it online. Try Happy Kombucha (happykombucha.co.uk).

Kombucha recipe

Ingredients:(Makes 2 litres)Ferment time: 1–2 weeks

2L water, ideally filtered, as chlorine can inhibit fermentation1 heaped tbsp tea of your choosing (green, black, white etc)160g sugar1 SCOBY2tbsp starter kombucha

Method:

1. Boil the water and pour over the tea, leaving it to brew for 15 minutes or so (less or more will affect the flavour, so experiment to your taste).

2. Clean a large two-and-a-half litre jar with boiling water. Once clean, pour the tea into the jar, straining out your chosen tea leaves.

3. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Leave to cool completely before adding the SCOBY and starter kombucha.

4. Cover the top of the jar with a muslin (cheesecloth) or clean dish towel and fix with an elastic band, leaving in a light place, but not direct sunlight, for about 10 days. The amount of time is dependent on how warm your room is and how sour you like the kombucha, so keep tasting to find the right point. Two weeks is suggested for those that need a ballpark time frame.

5. Decant the kombucha into two one-litre ceramic flip-top bottles, retaining the SCOBY and a little of the kombucha. In the jar, the SCOBY will live indefinitely, and will kickstart your next batch. At this point you can drink it or do a second fermentation to add more fizz and flavour. If you decide to do a second fermentation, you will need something sweet to allow the process to work its magic successfully. This can include juice or fruit. A reasonable ratio of kombucha to juice/fruit is around 6:1. Have some fun and add ingredients like mangoes and mulberries, or even herbs such as lemon verbena, hibiscus leaves, star anise, fresh ginger or turmeric. Leave the kombucha to ferment for two to three more days.

Ferment by Mark Diacono is published by Quadrille, priced £12.99. Photography by Mark Diacono. Available March 3.