Remember when Turmeric was one of those fad super-foods a few years ago? I remember buying some little bottle of turmeric water and throwing it out after a few sips because - honestly - it was gross!
If you've had an experience like that with turmeric - I highly recommend you try it again, but this time, in this homemade, warming Ayurvedic tea.
You've probably seen (or tried) turmeric at your local coffee shop in Golden Milk (similar to a chai latte, but with a different blend of spices include turmeric). While I love Golden Milk, I find that the version I get in coffee shops - often like chai tea - has a lot more sugar, and less punch - making it not feel not quite as nourishing and anti-inflammatory as it has the power to be.
There's serious research (here and here) back up the powerful anti-inflammatory, healing powers of turmeric. It is packed with micronutrients that will feed your gut biome and adaptively treat a range of serious and chronic conditions like arthritis, allergies, colitis, cancer, Alzheimer's, and depression.
Incredibly nourishing for body and mind. Drink it when you're sick, might get sick, or just want to get a little preventative boost that tastes and feels good.
I want to share favorite "potion" recipe of mine for building up your body's naturally amazing resilience, using the super-ingredient turmeric, but in an Ayurvedic-inspired, warming, healing tea perfect for winter. It's also lactose-free - so should be gentle on all bellies.
Note: My recipe calls for FRESH turmeric root and ginger root - both available in Asian and some regular grocery stories. (Turmeric looks similar to ginger, like a small root). According to the Ayurvedic wisdom tradition, the less fresh our food is, the less benefit it has. In Ayurveda, it's about the life-force (or prana) - but you can think of it like the medicine in your cabinet - over time, the effectiveness diminishes. You get less flavor, less "bang for your buck" nutritionally as micronutrients degrade. For that reason, I highly recommend seeking out the fresh stuff if you can! You will taste (and your body will feel) the difference if you can!
Tula Turmeric Tea (Tula means balance in Sanskrit)
1 inch fresh turmeric (you could experiment with 1-2 T ground turmeric, but I haven't tried it!)
1/2 inch fresh ginger
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 lemon
honey to taste (optional)
Pinch of fresh black pepper (optional- but helps to activate the curcumin in the turmeric, and you won't taste it)
2 cups water
Fill a small pot with the water and turn the heat on high. Grate the fresh turmeric and ginger into the water. Add the cinnamon stick and black pepper.
Bring to a boil, and then turn to simmer for at least 5 minutes, or longer if you want a more intense flavor. The longer you boil, the more you will concentrate the tea, which is fine especially if you want to make extra and store it, as you can always add more water to bring it back to the intensity you like.
Lightly squeeze the lemon into the pot and remove the cinnamon stick. Serve with honey - making sure to add the honey after the tea has stopped boiling.
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