You might already have by trying the delicious Mama Jungla Kombucha, either from the market when it was still open, from a shop or through HELPCA. This beverage, produced by fermenting sweetened black or green tea, is known for its digestive and other health benefits.
Today we would like to present you Grettel, the woman behind Mama Jungla. Grettel started making Kombucha in 2015, while she was trying to find a way to support the costs of the dogs’ rescues she operated. She has been rescuing street dogs for years, first in Guanacaste where she used to live and then in Uvita and areas where she moved to two years ago.
Mama Jungla products are sold in many places on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica from Guanacaste to Osa, and in San José. Making and selling Kombucha over the country became the way for this big-hearted woman to finance her rescue project: providing street dogs a home, food and necessary medical treatments. At the moment, Grettel can’t afford to take any more dog at her charge as she already has 16 to take care of! She wants to focus now growing her business so she can help in a different way in the future by promoting Spay and Neuter campaigns in social risk areas and country towns.
What is Kombucha made from?
The fermentation process of sugared black or green tea is based on the symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast, which produces a tea mushroom - or tea funghus – called SCOBY. This one gives the drink its vinegary taste but also its probiotic characteristics. The beverage can have a large range of different flavors depending on which fruit, spice or/and herb the producer decides to put in.
With her two fermentations and flavor choices, Mama Jungla succeeded in producing Kombucha perfectly balanced between sweetness and sourness. Grettel also chooses to not filter it to keep all the probiotic virtues of the SCOBY. Organic hibiscus flower, Ginger & Lemon, Turmeric & Cayenne Pepper, Lemongrass, Mandarin orange & Turmeric, Strawberry & Rose... There is something for every taste!
“HELPCA: a sustainable springboard for growth”
Mama Jungla was one of the first suppliers added to our online platform. “HELPCA has enabled me to deliver to customers who used to buy my products directly at the market places”, explains the vendor. “It also gives me more visibility to reach new customers, which I think is great”.
To the Community: “It is very important to support your local suppliers, especially the small businesses around here and keep the economy going. As we all live around here, let’s try to support each other. Thank you so much to the whole HELPCA team! I know that it is a lot of work and logistics to make this really work”.
Thank you Grettel for those nice words! We’ll keep working hard to make this happen!
