Table of Contents
To drink a TEAZEN kombucha stick, empty one 5 g stick into about 250 ml of cold or warm water, stir until it dissolves, and drink it straight away while it is fizzy. Koreans drink it iced in summer, mixed with sparkling water as a soda replacement, or as a lighter alternative to coffee in the afternoon. It contains tea, so expect some caffeine, and it is sweetened without sugar.
The question we get most about TEAZEN is not "is it good" but "what do I do with it". A foil stick of powder is unfamiliar if your kombucha has always come in a bottle, and the sticks have been turning up abroad ever since BTS member Jungkook drank one on a live stream in 2021, a moment The Korea Times credits with a fivefold jump in the brand's sales. This is the practical guide: how to mix it, what to mix it with, when Koreans drink it, and what the brand does and does not say about caffeine, sugar and who it is for. For the flavors and the brand's story, start with the TEAZEN Kombucha Guide.
At Daebak, a Seoul-based Korean culture and product company, the directions below are TEAZEN's own, from its product pages; the general facts about kombucha come from Mayo Clinic, listed at the end. TEAZEN products in our shop are shipped by the brand.
The basic method
- Tear open one stick. Each is 5 g of powder.
- Pour it into a glass or bottle with about 250 ml (a cup) of water. The brand's pages say cold or warm water; cold is the usual choice.
- Stir or shake until it dissolves. It will fizz: the powder contains sodium bicarbonate and citric acid, which react in water.
- Add ice if you like, and drink it soon after mixing, as the brand advises; the fizz fades.
That is all. There is no steeping, no straining and no waiting, which is the point of the format.
TEAZEN Kombucha Peach, the gentlest flavor for first-timers. See details.
Four ways Koreans actually drink it
| Style | How | Best flavors |
|---|---|---|
| Iced, straight | Stick + 250 ml cold water + ice | Lemon, Berry |
| Sparkling | Dissolve in a splash of still water first, then top up with cold sparkling water; it foams, so pour slowly | Pineapple, Shine Muscat |
| Water-bottle | Stick in a 500 ml bottle of water for a milder, longer drink | Citron, Green Mandarin Lime |
| Warm | Stick in warm (not boiling) water on a cold day; less fizz, more tea flavor | Korean Plum, Peach |
The 250 ml and 500 ml amounts are the brand's; the pairings are our suggestions. If you want it stronger, use less water rather than two sticks.
When to drink it
In Korea the sticks live in three places: the office drawer, as the afternoon drink for people cutting down on coffee; the fridge door, mixed into a jug of iced water in summer; and the gym bag, as a flavored water. It is also what many people reach for instead of a soda with lunch, because it is fizzy and fruity without sugar. There is no "correct" time, and the brand gives none. The Korea Economic Daily files kombucha under Korea's "diet drink" market, which is a fair description of how most people here use it: a fizzy drink without the sugar.
What is in it, in plain words
According to the ingredient lists on TEAZEN's product pages, each stick contains a kombucha powder fermented from black tea (Uva and Darjeeling), rooibos, chamomile, green tea, peppermint and brown rice; fruit juice or concentrate powder for the flavor; fructooligosaccharide, a prebiotic fiber; a blend of twelve probiotic cultures; and erythritol and sucralose for sweetness. The product pages list 0 g of sugar and 15 calories per stick. The brand positions the sticks as a zero-sugar, low-calorie drink with prebiotics and probiotics. We will not go further than that: Mayo Clinic, writing about kombucha in general, says "there isn't enough proof that kombucha tea has the health benefits that some claim," and the same caution applies to a powdered one.
TEAZEN Kombucha Berry. See details.
Caffeine, sugar and who should skip it
- Caffeine: the base includes fermented black and green tea, so there is some. The brand does not state an amount on these pages; if you are caffeine-sensitive, drink it earlier in the day.
- Sugar: none listed. The sweetness comes from erythritol and sucralose, which is why the drink tastes sweeter than a plain bottled kombucha.
- Who should skip it: Mayo Clinic advises that people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and people with weakened immune systems, avoid kombucha. The sticks are a food product, not a supplement, but if you are in one of those groups, ask your doctor first. The brand's pages do not address children; follow the pack.
Storing the sticks
Unopened sticks keep in a cool, dry cupboard; the foil protects the powder. Once mixed, drink within the hour. Do not pre-mix a bottle the night before: the fizz goes flat and the drink tastes thinner.
Prefer a green-tea-based kombucha? OSULLOC makes one from a culture derived from Jeju green tea; we compare the two in TEAZEN vs OSULLOC Kombucha Sticks. For OSULLOC's other cold brew sticks, see the OSULLOC Tea Guide.
TEAZEN products in our shop are brand-shipped. For a seasonal mix of Korean snacks, drinks and goods chosen for you, the Daebak Box is a separate, curated option.
FAQ
How do you drink TEAZEN kombucha?
Empty one stick into about 250 ml of cold or warm water, stir until dissolved, add ice if you like, and drink it soon after mixing.
Can you mix TEAZEN kombucha with sparkling water?
Yes. Dissolve the stick in a little still water first, then top up slowly with cold sparkling water; the powder already fizzes, so it foams.
Can you drink TEAZEN kombucha hot?
The brand's pages say cold or warm water. Warm works; boiling water is not what the directions call for, and the fizz will be gone.
Does TEAZEN kombucha have sugar or caffeine?
The product pages list 0 g sugar and 15 calories per stick, sweetened with erythritol and sucralose. The fermented tea base contains caffeine; the brand does not give an amount.
Can you drink TEAZEN kombucha every day?
Plenty of people treat it as a daily soda or coffee replacement. Follow the pack, and see the note above if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or immunocompromised.
This guide is part of the TEAZEN hub, which lists every Daebak guide on TEAZEN.
