Week 2 - Scoby

Interacting with scoby for the first time was very interesting, to say the least. At first I felt somewhat uncomfortable touching it, especially after smelling it and feeling the texture. However, reading about scoby after class broadened my interests and views on scoby. Tea sugar and SCOBY can be combined to create kombucha, which is a drink that I personally do not enjoy, but appears to have many health benefits (Link, 2018). It has been found to be linked to being a source of probiotics, weight loss and blood sugar control, a source of antioxidants, assisting in killing bacteria, may help with heart health, and may help reduce the risk of cancer (Leech, 2018). SCOBY itself is made up of bacteria and yeast and helps in fermentation of kombucha by breaking down sugars in a black or green tea (Leech, 2018). Until recently, kombucha seemed to be very obscure, but a craze has been building up for it due to a large portion of people seeking healthier lifestyles (Rubin). Gut health seems to be the most important or obvious portion of the benefits that are sought out by enjoyers (Rubin). Fermented foods like kombucha and others like yogurt can help diversify your gut microbiome, with one study observing a decrease in 19 inflammatory compounds of participants over a 10 week period (O’Connor, 2021). These inflammatory compounds were linked to Type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis (O’Connor, 2021). 

 

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Touching the scoby and trying to make art out of it was a process I did not expect, so I had an interesting time trying to figure out what to do. It was very rubby-like and had layers upon layers of sheets of cells which were pulled apart to place in our jars. Again, the smell was not the best. Using the wire to form a structure was the next obstacle, as I had a thick piece of scoby and I was unsure of what to do with it. I ended up making something of a spiral as my sculpture and trying to wrap a thin piece of scoby over it, while leaving the rest of the thick piece at the bottom. I’m interested to see what will come from this in the future.

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In relation to fermentation, it is a process required in bread as well. I was unable to bake some bread myself, but I had some in the fridge that I was able to take a picture of and observe the ingredients. After reading “Collective Bread Diaries”, I started to realize more and more the importance of bread in our lives. Bread seems to be much more available in general than many other foods, and it seems most if not all cultures indulge in eating bread in some way. It connects us very much in this way, and of course drives the economy. I thought it was very interesting that bread prices create a good gauge on how the economy is doing, as everyone is consuming bread daily as a staple food. Finally, I tied it back to my own culture and faith. “Breaking bread” has historically been a very important experience, as who people choose to share their time dining with is of great importance. Usually, you dine with your close friends and relatives, and holidays or traditions almost always have some sort of feast and breaking of bread. Breaking bread is also important in my Catholic faith, where bread becomes the body of Christ, given to his followers in tradition and celebration every Sunday. In this way, bread connects us to the rest of the world and on a spiritual level as well. 

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Sources:
- Collective Bread Diaries: Cultural Identities in an Artificial Intelligence Framework Haytham Nawar, PhD, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AjqkryyRnHe9mqnMOx9b7Fu5Vn3jSYg2/view
 
- How Fermented Foods May Alter Your Microbiome and Improve Your Health, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/13/well/eat/yogurt-kimchi-kombucha-microbiome.html

- Kombucha SCOBY: What It Is and How to Make One, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/kombucha-scoby

- 8 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Kombucha Tea, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/8-benefits-of-kombucha-tea

- Drink What? Kombucha Craze Explained, https://www.leoweekly.com/2019/07/drink-what-kombucha-craze-explained/