Wellness Wednesdays are ongoing classes at Impact Hub HNL that allow our multitalented members to share their health and wellness knowledge with our community. To see upcoming events, visit our Facebook events page.
In February we hosted our first Wellness Wednesday event with Diana Dymarsky of Awakened Mana, a local organization that focuses on conscious, sustainable events. In addition to running her events company and a grocery delivery service, Diana is also a kombucha expert, and she shared her funky ferment skills with almost 20 eager students.
Kombucha is a fermented tea drink that has been sipped for centuries around the world, and in the past decade has become increasingly popular for health-conscious consumers here in the US. Kombucha (or booch) is tangy, fizzy, and flavored in hundreds of ways to please a wide range of palates. Diana says that she fell in love with kombucha over four years ago, and it’s become daily staple for her. “I love all of the health benefits of Kombucha, but mostly my ability to swap out my coffee habit for ‘booch,” she says.
While the recipe is quite simple, the magic of fermentation makes the drink extraordinary (and offers a bunch of great health benefits, too). Kombucha is made by brewing black tea and sugar together, then adding a bit of premade kombucha to a large jar with a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts). During the two week fermentation period, the SCOBY digests the sugars in the mixture, resulting is carbonation, and changing the flavor considerably. Kombucha can then be flavored with fresh or dried fruits, spices, and other ingredients to personalize your ‘booch. Diana’s favorites are Mango/Ginger, Blueberry/Ginger and Peach/Ginger! Yummy!
Awakened Mana offered organic kombucha starter kits at the event that consisted of everything you need to start your own brew:
- 1 Gallon glass jar with lid
- 1 SCOBY
- 2 Cups starter liquid (premade kombucha)
- 1 Cup organic sugar
- 2 Tablespoons organic English breakfast tea
This class was very popular, so we hope to be offering it again soon! Diana said after class, “Teaching my first workshop at Impact Hub was such an honor. The students were so engaged and asked such wonderful questions, and I really look forward to offering the class again.” Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to keep up with upcoming events.
