Rejuvelac — tasting notes & food pairings

Rejuvelac

Rejuvelac is a raw, lightly fermented tonic made by soaking sprouted whole grains — most often wheat, but also rye, quinoa, millet or barley — in plain water for a day or two until the liquid turns cloudy, tart and faintly fizzy. Uncooked and unsweetened, it is drunk cold as a sour, lemony, yeasty health beverage and used as a live starter culture in raw and vegan kitchens, most famously to ferment nut and seed "cheeses."

Crisp & tartTrace alcohol

Rejuvelac reads first as a clean, sharp sourness — bright and lemony, almost like a very light, flat lemonade or fresh whey — over a yeasty, faintly bready grain base. It is thin-bodied and refreshing, softly effervescent, unsweetened and just a touch tart-savoury, with a lingering sour-grain finish and only a whisper of fermentation warmth. A well-made batch tastes clean and lively; an over-fermented one turns unpleasantly sharp and murky. Rye or quinoa versions add a slightly earthier, breadier note.