Tis the season of juicy mangoes! Here's how we're celebrating with an exclusive all-mango menu with Just Loaf.

Just Loaf runs out of Koramangala doing everyday burgers and fries at a scale that outgrew its first kitchen — a 5,000 sq ft flagship, plus a sister bakery operation in Daily Bakehouse. Not the obvious home for a live ferment, which is exactly why it worked.

Together we put the Mango Chili Kombucha on their counter for the summer.

Mango is the easiest fruit in India to put in a drink and the hardest to make interesting. It is already sweet, already heavy, already familiar. Chili is what stops that happening.

Chili does not read as a flavour so much as a sensation, arriving late, after the sweetness has peaked, and pulling the whole thing back. You get the mango first, then a small warm edge at the finish that resets the palate and makes you want the next mouthful. It is the same trick as chili on cut fruit from a street cart, which is a thing this country has understood for considerably longer than the beverage industry has.

Underneath both, the fermentation keeps it dry. Acidity and fizz stop the mango going syrupy, so it drinks like a refreshment rather than a dessert, which matters when it is sitting next to a burger and a basket of fries.

Sweet mango, a little heat, and the most refreshing thing we could put in a bottle for a Bengaluru summer. Limited run.

Originally shared by @just.loaf on Instagram. View the original post →