Edible Vancouver Island Fall 2022

changed my life.” Probiotics led her to fermented foods, which have been found to increase the diversity of gut microbes, and then to kombucha. Now she’s selling Cultured Kombucha all over Vancouver Island, as far north as Campbell River. “Healthy things can taste good,” she says. Weir’s Salt Spring Island Kombucha, meanwhile, is available all over Vancouver Island, Vancouver and across the Gulf Islands. And Hendricks has expanded from the back half of her family garage to a fully sta ed warehouse next to To no’s distillery and brewery. Every year she doubles production and sells To no Kombucha right across B.C. Kombucha, clearly, is a product whose popularity continues to grow—you could say it’s fermenting—for a

To that, kombucha makers add their own avours from fruit, herbs, owers and spices. ey sometimes add more carbonation, too, although yeast naturally converts sugar to CO2. Hendricks, for instance, o ers avours including Apple Honey bush, Turmeric Raspberry, Ginger Lemon, Jasmine Hibiscus and Apricot Rose, from concentrates she makes herself. She follows a long, three-stage fermentation “to bring out di erent character.” Her favourite right now is the new Apple Honeybush. “It’s got a delicate sweetness,” she says. Susut, on the other hand, takes a more oral approach, with avours including Citrus Ginger, Nettles & Petals, Elder ower Rose and Strawberry Hibiscus. “I like to focus on what I can nd around here so I work with local foragers and local farms,” she says. “I have a background in herbology and if I can put some intention behind herbs that also have healing properties, I’m behind that.” Over on Salt Spring Island, Weir looks to the ancient past for brewing techniques that add more depth and to her garden for avours. ose include Wild Rose, Lavender Mint, Hibiscus Lemon Balm and Strawberry Mint, Cherry Ginger, as well as funkier avours like the mushroomy Chaga Chai and Blue Algae. HEALTHY GROWTH Flavour aside, one of the main attractions of kombucha is its al leged health bene ts. “ ere’s a whole bunch of health bene ts that people claim but I don’t have third-party proof,” Hendricks says cautiously. “But the feedback I get from people is it helps their digestion, or it helps them sleep.” e bene cial bacteria in kombucha are said to be probiotic, and that’s what initially attracted Weir. “It was 100% that,” she says. “You’re a mom and you’re exhausted and you just want something to give you a little boost. I couldn’t believe how good I felt. I didn’t feel like I was buzzed. I just felt really present.” Susut also got into kombucha for its health bene ts. “I was sick, but nothing that could be diagnosed. I was low on en ergy and my digestion was bad,” she says. “I did my research and it came back to my gut. I discovered probiotics and it

myriad of reasons. As Hendricks says, “Everyone has a different story of why they like it.”

“The kombucha made in your house will be different from the kombucha made anywhere else. I still find it magical.” - Christine Susut

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