Progress on Sensory Quality and Chemical Composition of Kombucha

Kombucha is a functional beverage made from sugared tea fermented by yeasts, acetic acid bacteria and lactic acid bacteria. In recent years, with the improvement of people's health awareness, Kombucha with health benefits has received widespread attention from all over the world. In this review, the chemical composition of Kombucha, including organic acids, tea polyphenols and aromatic substances, and the sensory quality, including appearance, aroma and taste are summarized. The effects of different fermentation parameters on the chemical composition and sensory quality of Kombucha are discussed. Besides, the interactions between those two are drawn. The information gathered in this review could help us to better understand the sensory quality of Kombucha and the biochemical causes of its formation. Furthermore, it would provide a theoretical basis to the product stability, quality improvement and variety innovation of Kombucha.