Starting 2022 with a bang, as our first special of this year, is a Dan Cong Kombucha.
This is actually the second Dan Cong that we have used for our Kombucha.
The first one, is our staple Kombucha, called Black Phoenix Bärbucha Kombucha.
Dan Cong is a type of roasted Oolong and it comes from the Phoenix Mountains (Fenghuang), in China.
Teapedia describes them as follows:
"Dan Cong (单枞) are special types of Oolong from Fenghuang shan (Phoenix mountains) in Guandong province, China. The Phoenix mountains are elevated from 350 - 1560 meters above sea level. Niaoji shan (1560m) is the highest mountain while in Wudong shan (1391m) the main Dancong production is located . Dancong literally translated means "single bush". This varieties are known to mimic different flavors."
Those flavors include the fragrances of: Magnolia, Almond, Orchid, Ginger Blossom, Geranium, Pomelo Blossom, Honey Orchid, Cinnamon, Osmanthus, and a few more.
So these are the prime Dan Congs and they are usually quite expensive.
That is the reason that we don't make our Kombucha out of them too often. The price tag of
500 € per kg and over, limits us to what we can make.
Even though, Dan Congs make an excellent and complex Kombucha since they are roasted Oolongs.
About Ao Fu Hou, the above mentioned Teapedia writes the following:
"Ao Fu Hou is a rare Dan Cong Oolong from the Phoenix mountains (Fenghuang shan). It's a mother tree of Huang Zhi Xiang (mushu). Ao Fu Hou Dan Cong is characterized by its particularly fruity aroma and a subtle fragrance of flowers. It is, like most Dan Cong, a sub species of Shui Xian. This Oolong is like other Dan Cong teas only slight twisted and not rolled into beads."
Being a rare Dan Cong, it actually worked quite good for us, price-wise, as this tea is a bit cheaper than most of Dan Congs.
As always, our Kombucha journey starts with a tea ceremony.
During those ceremonies, we discover the nature, the fragrance and the taste of each tea that later ends up as our Kombucha.
This one was no exception.
This tea came directly from China.
And it looked, and smelled amazing. A very strong dark chocolate smell.
As with all of our Premium Kombuchas, tea is the main star and the main flavor factor.
So here, it is during steeping, releasing all the fragrant oils.
And here are some leaves after steeping.
After steeping, it's time for our unrefined Organic sugar and our cultures. Those will do even more magic by transforming this tea into a tasty Kombucha.
After about a week, we take out the Scoby, and we strain our Kombucha to remove some floating yeasts and Scoby particles.
That prevents the danger of clogging up, when we are using our bottling machine.
So, we strain it, but we do not filter it.
Filtration removes the beneficial yeasts, and also a big part of the flavor.
We just keep our Kombucha as natural as it can be.
After straining, it is bottling time.
After bottling, our Kombucha develops a natural carbonation, when it sits in closed bottles, in a room temperature.
Natural carbonation is much easier on the stomach than forced carbonation - a process used by many commercial Kombucha brewers.
After this carbonation process is over, we still condition our Kombucha in colder temperatures for at least a week, before we offer it for sale.
That helps the flavors to harmonize, and it makes our Kombucha taste even better.
Two weeks are up and the exciting moment is here!
Fruity, complex and sooo delicious!
Ingredients:
Filtered and Revitalized Water, Live Kombucha Cultures, Unrefined Brown Sugar, and Ao Fu Hou Dan Cong