Somebody approached me on information regarding the
'tea fungus' used to ferment cold sweetened black tea
to a supposedly extraordinary beverage.
All I can recall is that it is not a fungus but a mixture of
acetic acid bacteria and yeasts. Acetobacter xylinum apparently
contributes the cellulose matrix forming a fungus-like lump
(similar to the 'mycoderma aceti' on old vinegar).
Does anybody knowm more details about the 'tea fungus', especially
the physiology of the process and how to start a culture.
It appears that this type of beverage is more commonly brewed in Eastern
Europe and the Far East. So this is also a test on the
internationality of the bionet.microbio newsgroup ;-)
