Ginger Bug

you heard it right, ginger bug.

this is a ginger bug. it is like your SCOBY to your kombucha, or your sourdough starter to your sourdough bread. you get the idea... so, with a ginger bug, you can make your very own carbonated drinks at home! (and even ginger beer too 😉)

just to elaborate a little further, a ginger bug is only made possible with the natural microbes that are on the skin. these microbes will feed on the sugar, causing it to ferment and produce carbon dioxide = giving its natural carbonation character. fret not, if everything is done under a sterilised condition, this ginger bug is totally safe to drink!

some microbes that can be found on ginger skin

Now, this is when things gets exciting! once you have a strong & healthy ginger bug base (ie: producing gas within 1 day of feeding), you can start flavouring them however you like! just to give you some ideas—ginger beer, ginger ale, lemon soda—the possibilities are endless! But we will delve into that in another post, for now here is how you make the ginger bug base!

@nomies.cowill Melvin & Rosie survive under Michelle’s care…?? I vote no. #gingerbug #fermentation #drinks #homebrew #fyp #sgfoodie

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Ginger Bug

(serves 3-4)

500ml of water
1 whole ginger (blitz/ chopped)
1 tbsp of sugar

directions:

• prepare the ginger by scrubbing off the dirt on the skin (remembering to keep the skin on)

• blitz/chop the ginger and set it aside in a clean container

• in a sterilised glass jar, pour in 500 ml of water, together with 1 tbsp of chopped ginger, and 1 tbsp of sugar. stir until sugar dissolves

• cover it loosely with a kitchen towel, and set it aside in a cool dark place

• feed 1 tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of chopped ginger, for the next 7 days!

*do note: discard drink if slimy, cloudy, smells bad, or stale/flat

---

consider pairing this drink with the following recipes!