Have you tried Jun? It is often referred to as the “champagne of fermented drinks.” I remember the first time I tried it. A friend of mine has huge ceramic crocks on the go, full of Jun. She prepared a tall glass for me with ice and freshly crushed verbena leaves. That was it. I was in love!
What is jun?
Jun is a fermented drink that is related to kombucha. It has an elusive aroma and taste, like elderflower – hard to pin down.
Like kombucha, you ferment it with a rubbery SCOBY (a Symbiotic Community Of Bacteria and Yeasts). Unlike kombucha, you float the SCOBY in a solution of raw honey and green tea, not sugar and black tea. The synergy of the raw honey and green tea gives Jun its unique taste and aroma.
Beware. Jun is a much faster ferment than kombucha. If you are fermenting in a warm environment, you might find that you have reached a good ferment after only four to five days.
The history of jun – don’t believe what you read
The master of all fermented things, Sandor Katz has trawled through the available literature on Jun. He concludes it is a “recent divergence from the kombucha family tree”.
Mysterious Origins
- Himalayan Legends: Some legends suggest monks brewed that Jun tea in the Himalayas for over a thousand years. It was considered a spiritual elixir, believed to aid in enlightenment and energy cleansing.
- Tibetan and Chinese Roots: Other accounts claim that Jun originated in the remote sections of Tibet and northern China. It is said that prized variations of Jun cultures are still available only to monks in these regions.
- Lack of Historical Evidence: Despite these legends, there is no concrete historical evidence or mention of Jun in Tibetan or Chinese lite. This has led some experts, like food writer Sandor Katz, to believe that Jun might be a modern invention attributed to Tibet as a marketing gimmick.
Jun Fermented Green Tea
Jun tea, often referred to as "Jun kombucha" or simply "Jun," is a fermented beverage made from green tea and raw honey. It is similar to kombucha but uses different ingredients and has a distinct flavour profile.is like
Ingredients
- One Jun SCOBY
- 1 litre of freshly boiled filtered/unchlorinated water
- 4 tea bags of green tea or 25g green tea leaves
- 1/4 cup of raw honey
- 60mL of jun, bought unpasteurised or from a previous batch
Instructions
- Place tea in a heatproof glass or ceramic jug and pour over the boiled water. Let steep for around ten minutes.
- Choose a wide-mouth, glass heatproof vessel that will accommodate 1L of liquid plus a SCOBY (I use No.36 Fowlers preserving jars.
- Remove the tea bags; if you have used leaves, strain the tea into the jar/vessel. If I have used leaves, I pop a folded nut bag into the strainer as extra protection to catch all the leaf particles; I find it keeps the SCOBY clean and healthy.
- Stir in the honey until dissolved.
- When the solution reaches room temperature, you can add the reserved Jun and then float the SCOBY on top.
- Cover the vessel with clean, fine-woven cloth or kitchen paper and secure it with a rubber band. After four days, uncover the brew and remove a little with a clean stainless steel spoon. It should taste fizzy and pleasantly tart. If not, recover and test every day until it reaches this stage.
- When your batch has brewed, remove the SCOBY and reserve some Jun for the next batch. Repeat the brewing steps above, and enjoy your first batch of Jun!
Notes
- Remember, brewing jun tea is a personal journey. As you delve into it, you'll discover your unique preferences. Perhaps you prefer a stronger brew, steeped for 20 minutes instead of 10. It's all about finding what suits your taste buds best.
- Remember that Jun can be a fast ferment. If you forget to check it, you might find it way too tart. We have made this mistake a few times and ended up using it in salad dressings!
- If you have a sensitive palate, you will also notice that the taste of the raw honey you use changes to reflect the season and locality in which it was produced.
- Once you start to produce more SCOBYs, you can upscale the batches, doubling or tripling the ingredients. Your SCOBYs will grow to fit the new vessel.
- I have also brewed some rather strong batches with leatherwood honey, which is common here in Tassie. It is not to everyone’s taste, however, I find it gives a complex taste that feels rather “adult”!
Enjoy experimenting with your Jun fermented drink. What do you think? How would you describe the taste? Tell me in the comments below :)
Thanks Sarah! Jun will become a favourite – with Grand-daughters as well, we all love making Kombucha from your original Mother….
Thanks Kaye, what a wonderful thing, fermenting love with your granddaughters <3
Nice article! If using leaf green tea wouldn’t the stepped liquid have to be strained?
Hi Mary, thanks so much for bringing this to my attention. Just changing the recipe now x
Hi,
Sounds interesting.
Recipe states “ one Scoby “
Hope this isn’t a dumb question but where do I get a Scoby to start?
Hi Kathy!
All questions are good questions! Where are you located? You could start looking at local online markets, ask your health food shop for leads or there are online fermentation shops that can ship you a SCOBY :)
I found a bottle of green tea kombucha at a whole foods that said it had live cultures. Following the instructions here, I used it as my starter and , BAM! a scoby formed and I was on my way! I do make regular kombucha, so I know how resilient and eager the cultures are and I didn’t have to start with an actual scoby, it formed by itself. I had to leave it ferment a bit longer than I would have liked, and it got pretty tart. I knew the first batch would probably be undrinkable, but then I used it and the new scoby and the second batch was great! I used candied ginger(cut into thin strips) and organic coconut chips for the second ferment.Delicious! Jun is more of a treat than my go to kombucha, as the honey is expensive. Lastly, keep the Jun at least 3-4 ft apart from other ferments, as I found it can taint the flavors of each separate ferment.
Brenda, that sounds amazing – don’t you love your microbial pets? I love capturing a new herd (what is the collective term for a group of microbes??!!) from random beverages. And i am so trying the ginger and coconut second ferment – sounds divine!!! I agree – jun can have a penetrating aroma. Don’t discard over-fermented batches, pop them in a jar covered with cloth or kitchen paper and let them become delicious vinegar! x
I’m so excited to have come across your blog. I tasted Jun tea for the first time in 63 years! Now, I want to make my own. Do you have a recipe for the Jun SCOBY, itself? Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
Hi Jocelyn I am so happy you are enjoying the blog :) . You will have to source a jun SCOBY from someone who brews jun, an online fermentation shop/market or you could try growing one from store-bought unpasteurised jun. Good luck and enjoy your jun!
Does Jun get carbonated without the second phase like in kombucha? If brewed in gallon jar, after it is fermented, does it need to be put in small jars? Thank you for your help.
Hi Cas! I find the carbonation during the first ferment variable – we get cold winters so it tends to slow down. Having said that, the carbonation is not as pronounced as kombucha. For more fizz, decant and do a second ferment, you can also add a teaspoon of honey to speed things along – just make sure you are using safe bottles, we don’t want any explosions!! x