Creamy turmeric and ginger tea made with coconut milk is a traditional south Asian beverage, Golden Milk is rich in potent antioxidants and has strongly anti-inflammatory properties.

Golden Milk: Creamy Turmeric and Ginger Tea with Coconut Milk

January 27, 2014 by Jenny 

This winter, we discovered Golden Milk or Turmeric Tea, and fell in love with its astringent, but smooth and bright flavor.  I often make it now instead of the hot chocolates, molasses milks and herbal chai my family loves.  When I can get it, I like to use fresh turmeric in my cooking.  I love its faint metallic, astringent flavor and the bright yellow-orange it gives my pilafs and curries.
In wintertime, when access to raw milk becomes scarce, I tend to use coconut milk and coconut water in this recipe; however, if you have good access to fresh milk, be sure to use it as it’s delightful with both cow’s milk and coconut milk.

Turmeric and Ginger

Turmeric and ginger are rhizomes, and while they look like roots, they’re actually the subterraneous stems of tropical plants.  Both turmeric and ginger have long been lauded for their medicinal as well as culinary properties, and often season the traditional foods of south Asian kitchens.
When you peel away the papery skin that envelops the turmeric rhizome, it reveals a brilliant orange color.  This orange pigment colors the foods in which it is cooked, and gives Golden Milk its characteristic yellow-gold color.  It is also this pigment, as well as other components found in turmeric, that contribute to its strong antioxidant capacity.  While turmeric has long-been used in traditional south Asian folk medicine, only recently have researchers begun looking into its effects on various cancers, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. Curcumin, a component of turmeric, is strongly anti-inflammatory.
Ginger, like turmeric, offers strong antioxidant capacity and has similarly enjoyed a long history of use in folk medicine where it is traditionally used to easy stomach upset or to ease the discomfort caused by flus and colds.  Preliminary research also links ginger to slowed tumor growth and to the inhibition of the growth of cancerous ovarian cells, though ginger’s affect on cancer is poorly understood and warrants more research.
While it’s relatively easy to find fresh ginger in any grocery store, health food store or supermarket, finding fresh turmeric is a little more challenging.  I typically find fresh turmeric in health food stores only seasonally – in winter.  I typically purchase powdered turmeric online (available here – where I purchase most of my organic spices).

Ghee

When I prepare my Golden Milk, I begin first by combining freshly grated ginger and turmeric with grass-fed ghee to form a fine paste. Long used in Ayurvedic cooking, ghee is a type of clarified butter.  Ghee prepared from the butter of grass-fed cows is extraordinarily rich in fat-soluble vitamins A and K2; it is also a good source of conjugated linoleic acid, a healthy fat with anticarcinogenic properties.
Turmeric and ginger, both rich in antioxidants, also work synergistically together with ghee, as ghee, and other healthy fats, enable those fat-soluble nutrients to be better absorbed.
You can purchase grass-fed ghee in many health food stores, as well as online.

Manuka Honey

Lastly, I use raw Manuka honey as a sweetener.  Manuka honey is a single varietal honey from New Zealand with a thick texture and a strong, almost medicinal flavor.  It is rich in antioxidants and has strong antimicrobial properties.  Due to demand and relatively limited supply, Manuka honey is expensive, and any raw honey can be substituted for it in this recipe with little change in flavor.
I typically purchase our Manuka honey online from reputable sources, and I use it only sparingly.

 

Read more: http://nourishedkitchen.com/golden-tea-turmeric-ginger-tea-coconut-milk/#ixzz2roKBQRZh

Golden Milk: Turmeric and Ginger Tea with Coconut Milk

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2 cups

Creamy, faintly sweet and fragrant with the potent flavors of ginger and turmeric, Golden Milk is a deeply nourishing drink, warming and perfect for winter afternoons.

Ingredients

• 1 1-inch knob fresh turmeric
• 1 1/2-inch knob fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons ghee 
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk 
• 1 cup coconut water 
• 1 tablespoon manuka honey

Instructions

1. Peel both the turmeric and ginger, then grate them finely into a mortar or a molcajete (I use this one.) Spoon the ghee into the mortar or molcajete, and grind the ghee into the turmeric and ginger with your pestle until they form a fine paste.
2. Pour the coconut milk and coconut water into a saucepan, and spoon in the paste made with turmeric, ginger and ghee. Turn the heat up to medium-high and warm the ingredients together until little bubbles just begin to creep up the sides of the pot. Turn off the heat and cover the saucepan, allowing the turmeric and ginger to steep about 3 minutes. Strain the golden milk through a fine-mesh strainer or tea strainer into a tea pot. Stir in the Manuka honey and continue stirring until it dissolves. Serve warm.

Notes

Golden Milk is traditionally made with cow's milk. If you wish to omit the coconut milk and coconut water, simply substitute 2 cups whole milk.

If you cannot find fresh turmeric, substitute 2 teaspoons organic powdered turmeric.

Eczema Tea Recipe Posted January 12, 2014 

This eczema tea recipe comes from the lovely folks at the Herbal Academy of New England, of whom I have been studying with on my herbalism journey!
Recipe
Equal parts dry herb Calendula, nettle, red clover
8 oz hot water
Treatment
For the treatment of eczema (dry, itchy, scaly skin) patches brought on by dietary or seasonal weather changes. This recipe treats the body from the inside out; focusing on cleansing the lymph.
Directions
After bringing the water to a boil, pour 8 ounces of it over the combined dry herbal mixture. Cover immediately to keep the herbal oils and vapors from escaping. Steep for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, strain, drink. Enjoy! Drink 1-3 cups a day until symptoms begin to clear.
Notes
During the cold winter months, I get a small dry patch of skin on my shin. It doesn’t hurt, mostly itches. When I found this tea recipe, I knew I had to try it! I used one tablespoon of each of the three ingredients; Calendula flower, nettle and red clover blossom. Being a visual learner, I assumed eight ounces of water was going to be a lot. But, it wasn’t. It filled only half of my mason jar. When I make it again, I will double the recipe to 16 ounces of water and two tablespoons each of the herbs.

After steeping for 10 minutes, the liquid took on a light amber color. Some of the herbs began to settle on the bottom, most notably the Calendula flowers.
After steeping for 15 minutes, the herbs had expanded quite a bit, filling most of the top, middle and bottom of the liquid space. They had unfurled; I could see the nettle in longer, unfurled ribbons. The color of the water was a rich, dark tannin color, like on the bottom of a pond that has been covered with leaves.

At the 20 minute mark, I strained the herbs out of the liquid and drank the tea. Look how beautiful the Calendula flowers look all opened up! It tasted smooth and woodsy at first. It had a bit of bitterness but it was noted in the background as a last experience on the tongue while swallowing. It smelled slightly sweet and mostly mossy.

Disclaimer:
All herbal information offered through Divine Lotus Healing is meant for education, information and reference instruction only. Please seek the guidance of a healthcare professional before treating yourself medicinally with herbs.
http://divinelotushealing.com/eczema-tea-recipe/