What is kombucha and why are Chinese youth obsessed with the fermentation health trend?

Some youngsters are making their own fermented drinks at home and are surprised to find that their parents did the same in the 1980s

Young people in China are homemaking kombucha, reviving a 1980s fad from the previous generation after the drink became a globally recognised health product.

In recent years, kombucha has gone viral in Western countries as a commercial beverage, endorsed by stars such as Kourtney Kardashian and Lady Gaga.

The trend has reached China and prompted some drinks makers to release kombucha products. Meanwhile, some Chinese youngsters are making their own kombucha at home and sharing their methods online.

On one social media platform, the hashtags #kombucha and #homemadekombucha respectively have 70 million and 10 million views.

However, it was not until many picked up the kombucha trend that they learned it was nothing new for their parents.