ORIGIN MYSTERY

Let’s take a 2,000 year old journey through cultures around the world to explore the origins and myths of kombucha!

  • 500 BC - Damo’s Eyelids and the Birth of Tea

    Meet Damo, the cool monk who kickstarted Shaolin Kung Fu and Zen Buddhism. During a nine-year meditation stint in a cave, he got so mad at himself for a quick nap that he cut off his eyelids. Legend has it, the first tea plants sprouted from those eyelids, giving us a wake-up buddy for meditation.

  • 200 BC - Kombucha Mystery Unveiled

    Around 220 B.C., in Northeast China, folks were onto fermented tea for its health perks. Emperor Quin Shi Huang’s quest for immortality led to the first kombucha legend. The “mushroom tea” (kombucha scoby vibes) became a sip of potential eternity. Fast forward to Emperor Inkyo in Japan, and meet Dr. Kombu, the Korean physician who brought this health elixir to Japan. Kombucha got its name!

  • 1500 AD - European voyage

    Tea was brought into Europe by traders during this period. By the 1800s, Russian biologists were publishing papers on "Kambucha." After the Russians learned to use "tea mushroom" to ferment tea leaves, they also used it as a tonic.

  • 1950s - Italian Love Affair

    Picture the 1950s, where Italians were head over heels for kombucha! It was like a chain letter—split your kombucha SCOBY, share with friends, but never toss it or sell it or it will lose its magic. Stealing holy water to supercharge kombucha benefits? Italians went all in! The authorities even tried to shut it down!

  • 1960s - Culture Revolution

    In the 1960s, kombucha was the talk of the town [in Western culture]. Books, parties, and hippie gatherings—it was all about sharing SCOBY cultures. Your kombucha clout? It wasn’t about what you knew but who you knew! 

    #passtheSCOBY

  • 1990s - Kombucha Goes Global

    Fast forward to the 1990s, and commercial kombucha production kicks off in the USA. Now, it’s a global phenomenon! People sip it not just for health perks but also as a rad swap for alcohol, coffee, and soft drinks. Low in sugar, caffeine, and alcohol, kombucha has earned its place in our glasses. Cheers to that!

  • 2024 - Chinese Year of The Dragon

    In the auspicious Year of The Dragon, we proudly launch Long-shien Ltd. Why "Dragon's Saliva"? Legend has it, a dragon's saliva is the elixir of immortality. What better name or time could there be for the house of KULTCHA Kombucha!
    Let the dragon's journey begin!