Is called Hundred Kombucha and it is a millenary drink that is produced in Induno Olona, a small town in the Varese area that is another site of the historic Angelo Poretti Brewery. The project is due to the startup Mia, founded in 2020 by the under-35s Mattia Baggiani, Battista Maconi, Gabriele Mezzadri, Simone Vertemati and Ivan Parenti. In reality it was Baggiani on his return from Australia, where the consumption of kombucha is very widespread, who convinced his friends to leave: “We were among the first producers in Italy and we started when there were perhaps two companies. Now the movement is growing a lot and for this reason we have decided to create an association to team up with the other producers and spread the culture of this drink “.
The history of kombucha
Kombucha (or il) is still quite unknown to the average Italian consumer, with the exception of those who have a very healthy, organic, vegetarian or vegan dietary approach. It is in fact a fermented tea rich in natural probiotics, so it should help digestion and the intestine, as well as rebalance the bacterial flora. On the other hand, it was born as a curative drink in 200 BC exactly in Manchuria, but legend has it that it was a certain doctor Kombu who gave it fame by making it discovered by the Japanese emperor Inkyo. Precisely Kombu-chafrom the crasis of Kombu e Rub o chah (land): Kombu tea.
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After that thanks to the trade routes it spread all over the world, but there are at least three key historical passages. The first is during the Second World War, when the shortage of tea forces alternative methods of consumption. Baggiani remembers having found an article in the Corriere della Sera dating back to 1949 which referred to a sort of “magic mushroom”. The second is in the 60s / 70s when for its healing properties it becomes an over-the-counter product in Austrian and German pharmacies. The latest in the late 90s when word of mouth feeds on its alleged immunological qualities in California.
Today it is considered a probiotic drink, like yogurt kyr, miso, kefir and tempeh. This also explains why Mia’s cans should be kept in the fridge. “Ours is a living product that must be protected from light and heat. We recommend it to be drunk fresh and ideally on an empty stomach for best results. There are no contraindications for children”, adds Baggiani.
The Lombard recipe
Mia uses a mix of fermented green and black tea. “We make the infusion, add a percentage of organic cane sugar which serves as a nutrient for the bacterial mother (scoby – symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, ed.) and then in fermenters with water just wait 10 to 15 days. After fermentation the Mia Kombucha original ready. While for the ginger, raspberry and lemon versions we do a second cold fermentation for 2/3 days with a percentage of organic juices “, explains the co-founder of the startup.
The result is a slightly cloudy and slightly sparkling drink that is characterized by a hint of acidity very similar to that of apple cider. Here, drinking it this detail emerges a lot and in the flavored versions there is simply a fruity note at the end. “It is difficult to find a comparison but fermentation actually generates this acetic note that makes it look like cider. The sugar part is reduced precisely because the addition is functional to the transformation process and to the release of organic acids that are good for our intestine. Not to mention the antioxidant properties and its light energizing capacity “, points out Baggiani.
Mia, the largest Italian factory
Mia Kombucha was born from the merger of the productions of Mia from the province of Varese and Revolucha Kombucha from the province of Como. In these two years of activity, the distribution has reached a hundred bars, restaurants and organic shops throughout the peninsula, from Milan to Lecce. The price ranges from € 3.60 to € 4.5 per can.
The turning point, however, has recently materialized with a capital increase of 270,000 euros, collected on the equity crowdfunding platform Mamacrowd. “In a few days we will inaugurate the largest kombucha production plant in Italy: we will go from the current 2 thousand liters per month to 10 thousand at full capacity. Now we have 65 new members and the goal is to grow quickly; it is a product that deserves to be known by everyone “, concludes Baggiani.
The European kombucha market is estimated by Market Data Forecast about 250 million euros (2021) but it is expected that by 2026 it will reach 747 million euros. The UK is the leader in the segment but the most rapid growth will be recorded in Germany. In Italy, however, there is turmoil.