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TEAZEN (티젠) is a Korean tea company founded in 2001 whose powdered kombucha sticks became famous in 2021 after BTS member Jungkook drank one on a live stream. Each 5 g stick is mixed into about 250 ml of water and makes a lightly fizzy, zero-sugar fruit kombucha. Eleven flavors are in our shop; Lemon is the one to try first, then Peach or Shine Muscat.
If you have seen a slim foil stick labelled "kombucha" in a Korean convenience store, a gym bag or a K-pop fan's suitcase, it was probably TEAZEN. The brand turned a fermented drink that usually comes in a bottle into a powder you carry in a pocket, and then a single live stream turned it into one of the best-known Korean drinks abroad. This guide explains what the sticks are, where the brand came from, and which flavor to start with. All of our TEAZEN guides are listed in the TEAZEN hub.
At Daebak, a Seoul-based Korean culture and product company, product details come from TEAZEN's product pages, and the company facts from the news sources listed at the end. TEAZEN products in our shop are shipped by the brand.
TEAZEN Kombucha Lemon, the flavor to start with. See details.
What kombucha is, and what a kombucha stick is
Kombucha itself is older than any brand. Mayo Clinic describes it as "a fermented drink made with tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast": a culture is grown, added to sweetened tea, and left to ferment into a tangy, slightly sour drink. Mayo also notes that "there isn't enough proof that kombucha tea has the health benefits that some claim," which is a useful sentence to keep in mind whenever a kombucha label promises a lot.
A TEAZEN stick is the dried, instant version. According to the brand's ingredient lists, the base is a kombucha powder fermented from black tea (Uva and Darjeeling), rooibos, chamomile, green tea, peppermint and brown rice. To that the brand adds fruit juice powder, a prebiotic fiber (fructooligosaccharide), a blend of twelve probiotic cultures, citric acid and sodium bicarbonate, which is what makes the drink fizz when it hits water. It is sweetened with erythritol and sucralose rather than sugar; the product pages list 0 g of sugar and 15 calories per stick. The brand markets it as a zero-sugar, low-calorie drink with prebiotics and probiotics; we would describe it as a fizzy, fruity, mildly tart tea drink that happens to be very convenient.
The brand in brief
TEAZEN is not a start-up that got lucky. The Korea Economic Daily reports that the company was founded in 2001 by its CEO Kim Jong-tae, who had earlier led the launch of OSULLOC while at Amorepacific, and that it runs three tea farms, two factories and a research facility. The same paper describes it as South Korea's largest kombucha company and reports 2022 revenue of 58 billion won. In 2022 the private equity firm VIG Partners bought a majority stake for about 80 billion won. If you drink OSULLOC, in other words, the person who led that brand's launch went on to found this one.
The Jungkook effect
In February 2021 Jungkook of BTS mentioned during a live stream that he regularly drinks TEAZEN's kombucha and called it his favorite. The Korea Times reported that the company had never hired BTS as a model, that sales grew fivefold almost immediately, and that the boost helped TEAZEN double its sales in 2021. A company official told the paper, "Thanks to the BTS fan club, our Kombucha's popularity grew explosively abroad." The Korea Economic Daily reported export inquiries flooding in from overseas food and drink companies in the weeks after the stream. That is the whole story behind the "Jungkook kombucha" you may have seen online: an unpaid mention, and a product that was already good enough to keep the customers it gained.
The eleven flavors in our shop
| Flavor | Taste | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Lemon | Sharp, clean citrus; the most "kombucha-like" | First stick; the flavor the brand is known for |
| Peach | Soft, sweet, lightly tangy | People who find lemon too sharp |
| Shine Muscat | Green-grape, fragrant | A flavor you will see all over Korean cafes |
| Berry | Mixed berry, slightly tart | Iced, in summer |
| Citron (yuja) | Korean yuja; floral citrus | Fans of yuja tea |
| Korean Plum (maesil) | Green-plum tang | The most traditionally Korean flavor |
| Pineapple | Tropical, sweet | Mixing with sparkling water |
| Raspberry | Bright, tart red fruit | Berry fans who want more tang |
| Strawberry Kiwi | Sweet and green | The sweetest, least tart option |
| Mango & Guava | Tropical, rounder | A dessert-like stick |
| Green Mandarin Lime | Green tangerine (cheonggyul) and lime; zesty | Lemon drinkers who want variety |
Every box holds ten 5 g sticks. The taste notes above are our short descriptions; the ingredient and nutrition facts are the brand's.
TEAZEN Kombucha Shine Muscat. See details.
Which to try first
- Lemon if you want the flavor people mean when they say "TEAZEN kombucha". The Korea Economic Daily's 2021 report on the brand singles out its lemon kombucha, and it is the sharpest, most tea-like of the range.
- Peach if you are new to kombucha and want something gentler.
- Shine Muscat if you like the green-grape flavor that is everywhere in Korean cafes.
- Korean Plum or Citron if you want a flavor you cannot get from a Western kombucha brand.
How to mix the sticks, hot or cold, and when Koreans drink them is in How to Drink TEAZEN Kombucha Sticks. If you are choosing between TEAZEN and OSULLOC's green-tea kombucha, read TEAZEN vs OSULLOC Kombucha Sticks.
TEAZEN products in our shop are brand-shipped. If you would rather receive a seasonal mix of Korean snacks, drinks and goods chosen for you, the Daebak Box is a separate, curated option; for the snack-only version, see the Korean snack box guide.
FAQ
What is TEAZEN kombucha?
An instant powdered kombucha from TEAZEN, a Korean tea company founded in 2001. Each 5 g stick is mixed into about 250 ml of water and makes a fizzy, fruit-flavored kombucha with 0 g sugar and 15 calories, according to the brand.
Which TEAZEN kombucha did Jungkook drink?
Jungkook said on a live stream in February 2021 that TEAZEN's kombucha was his favorite; the Korea Times and the Korea Economic Daily both reported the sales jump that followed. Lemon is the flavor most associated with the brand, and the one to start with.
Is TEAZEN kombucha real kombucha?
It is made from a powder of fermented kombucha tea, so it is kombucha in dried, instant form rather than a live-brewed bottle. It is sweetened with erythritol and sucralose, not sugar.
Does TEAZEN kombucha have caffeine?
The base is fermented from black and green tea among other ingredients, so assume some caffeine. The brand does not list a figure on these product pages.
What is the best TEAZEN kombucha flavor?
Lemon is the classic and the safest first choice; Peach is the gentlest; Shine Muscat is the most Korean-cafe. The full range is in the table above.
Sources
- BTS-loved kombucha brand Teazen up for sale (The Korea Economic Daily, April 2021)
- BTS proves effective in product marketing (The Korea Times, April 2022)
- Kombucha tea brands lure investors as diet drink market grows (The Korea Economic Daily, August 2023)
- What is kombucha tea? Does it have any health benefits? (Mayo Clinic)
