Kombucha Flavor Wheels
A 2020 paper, Current Trends in Kombucha: Marketing Perspectives and the Need for Improved Sensory Research, by researchers at the Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, USA, reviewed scientific studies about the drink’s chemical and microbial makeup. Despite the sensory characteristics of kombucha being a critical aspect of the beverage, there are few studies in this area. The authors call for more standardized testing methods to better understand how consumers perceive the flavor and quality of this drink.
Currently, much of scientific research on kombucha is like a chef who meticulously lists every ingredient they buy but completely forgets to describe what their signature dish actually tastes like or whether diners enjoyed the meal.
Understanding the science of flavor matters.
Flavor range
The paper lists the range of flavors available in the commercial kombucha samples that they tested in 2020.
Their list is, of course, incomplete. Many additional flavors are regularly introduced by commercial companies. It’s curious, to say the least, that under ‘Teas’ they omit Black Tea!
Sensory testing expert Dr. Gary Spedding, the founder of Kentucky-based Brewing and Distilling Analytical Services (BDAS), has produced a flavor wheel based on this data.
Click to download a FREE Hi-res version.
Chemistry of flavor
Gary went further in creating a kombucha flavor wheel that maps the various compounds by chemical class, such as the phenol methoxyphenols that give kombucha a spicy, sweet, vanilla, and woody flavor, and the ester 2-hydroxybenzolate 4-ethol-2, which gives a sweet, wintergreen-like aroma.
Click to download a FREE Hi-res version.
This wheel complements flavor maps produced by KBI and BDAS, as well as my own humorous version that displays flavors using the London Tube Map.
