What is Jun? How to Make Jun Tea (Recipe + Video!) (2024)

Jun tea is made with green tea and raw honey and is the lighter, faster brewing version of kombucha. Try the easy recipe below with how-to video and learn about the history and health benefits of this delightful fermented beverage also called kombucha champagne.

I was gifted my very first Jun tea culture from a friend who told me that he seemed to digest it even better than the fermented drink known as kombucha.

I was excited to learn of a ferment made with honey and green tea instead of black tea and sugar, which is what you use when making kombucha at home.

The reason?

In 2001, shortly after I first began brewing kombucha, a Chinese friend who came to dinner told me her mother had made a very similar drink when she was a child growing up in Guangdong Province. The difference? Her mother made the ferment with green tea and honey.

Ever since that night, I’ve been intrigued by this mysterious ferment. Now I know it was very likely Jun tea.

The History of Jun Tea

Jun is widely found today in western Tibet (the number one place on my bucket list to visit someday) although it’s actual history is shrouded in rumor and mystery.

Some Jun dealers claim that the earliest writings about Jun tea date back to 600 B.C. in Northeast China where the elixir was valued for its ability to open energy (chi) in the body and increase circulation. Unfortunately, no source for these “earliest writings” is actually given.

Jun cultures are precious and a bit hard to find, to say the least. “Heirloom” Jun cultures are apparently so rare, in fact, that there have been robberies of Jun cultures reported by specialty fermentation dealers in recent years with the distribution of daughter cultures of the stolen originals ending up in Hawaii in Colorado.

Jun vs Kombucha

To say that I am in love with this lighter, faster brewing cousin of kombucha would be an understatement! Let’s examine some of the similarities and differences between these cousin ferments.

Uses slightly less tea and sweetener

Where a full gallon of kombucha typically uses 4-5 teaspoons of black tea and 1-1.5 cups sugar, a gallon of Jun requires 4 teaspoons of green tea and 1 cup of honey, ideally locally sourced and raw.

Hence, this is why Jun is sometimes called honey kombucha.

This means that Jun tea would be free of any potential disaccharide residues from the white sugar and hence friendly to those on the GAPS Diet.

Steeping and brewing times are shorter

The (loose) green tea used to make Jun is steeped for only two minutes, whereas for kombucha, steeping time is normally 10 minutes. Brew time is also shorter for Jun – 6 days versus 7 days minimum for kombucha.

This results in a lower caffeine final brew (if any is left at all) with lower potential fluoride content as well if lower quality and/or nonorganic tea is used for budget reasons.

Brews better at cooler temperatures

According to my friends at Kombucha Kamp, the ideal brewing temperature for Jun tea is between 68-77 F (20-25 C). For kombucha, the temperature range for optimal brewing is 78-85 F (25.5-29 C).

As a result, depending on the temperature of your home, either Jun tea or kombucha may make more sense depending on the seasonal effect.

More Expensive to Make

On the downside, brewing Jun tea is significantly more expensive than kombucha. However, it is still far cheaper than buying bottled kombucha from the store.

While I brew kombucha for around 25 cents per quart, the cost of a quart of home-brewed Jun tea isabout$2.50, 10 times as much!

The difference in cost is primarily due to the higher price of quality honey as compared to the cane sugar used to make kombucha.

More alcoholic

In addition to the increased cost, Jun tea is more alcoholic (around 2%), with kombucha clocking in at .5% for a typical batch.

Increased alcohol content makes Jun tea inappropriate for children.

In addition, it is not advisable for consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Kombucha, on the other hand, is a ferment I enjoyed all throughout pregnancy and lactation and allowed my children to sip in small amounts starting around age 2.

Should You Try Honey Kombucha?

If you have never made kombucha or other home ferments before, I suggest you start with kombucha as it is far less expensive to make and failure of a batch or two won’t cost you much.

On the other hand, if you are experienced at home ferments, give Jun tea, the champagne of kombucha, a try!

Who knows? You might end up a Jun-kie!

Where to Find a Potent Culture and Starter

Unfortunately, not that many people brew Jun tea, so it is hard to find someone in your community who can share a culture and some starter with you.

Thus, I would suggest buying an authentic Jun culture and starter from Kombucha Kamp. My friends Hannah and Alex will take good care of you and guarantee a full potency culture that is always fresh, never dehydrated or frozen. This is where my culture hails from.

Included in the recipe below is a 3-minute video that overviews the Jun Tea making process. Enjoy!

More Information

Fluoride in Kombucha: Should You Be Concerned?
Have You tried Kombucha Tea?
Switchel: Nature’s Healthy Gatorade
Can Candida Sufferers Drink Kombucha?
Kombucha: What it is and How to Make it(plus video how-tos)
Does Kombucha Prevent Grey Hair?
Batch vs Continuous Brew Kombucha
Addicted to Store Kombucha? Here’s Why