I love tea in the fall; warm cups of herbal tisanes, spicy mugs of chai, dark roasted flavors of pu erh and a quick pour over fresh mint leaves. I haven’t found a tea I didn’t like. This fall I have been working on healing inflammation in the body and nothing is better than turmeric for the job.
Turmeric is an old indian spice often used in Chinese medicine for its many benefits. It contains Curcumin, a very powerful medicinal compound which is a strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. The fresh turmeric root can be bought and grated or found as a dried spice in most grocery stores. The plant has small amounts of Curcumin which is a fat soluble compound. This means you can increase your absorption by adding healthy fats to the tea.
I like to start with a nut milk like hazelnut, and mix in coconut milk, but plain whole fat milk is delicious too. I recommend any milk with the exception of soy since it causes inflammation, which is what we are trying to eliminate in the first place.
Simply measure out a mug of your desired milk and pour it into a small pot on the stove. Heat very slowly and add in the spices you love. Stir in a spoonful of organic coconut oil for an extra dose of essential fat and voila, the perfect healing tea for fall.
Ingredients
- 1 mug of unsweetened hazelnut milk, coconut milk or whole fat milk
- * I like to mix the milks and add a little water to make them go further
- 1 tsp organic coconut oil
- Fresh turmeric root or 1/2 tsp dried turmeric
- Spices you enjoy: Cardamom, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves or Ginger
Instructions
- Measure out 1 mug of milk and/or water and add to a small pot
- Stir in 1 inch fresh peeled and grated turmeric or 1/2 tsp dried turmeric
- Heat slowly and add 1/8 tsp other chai type spices you like
- When warm, stir in 1 tsp coconut oil
- Do not let the milks boil, simply pour back into the mug and enjoy!
My special tip is to focus on the quality of the spices. If you buy your nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon and ginger whole they last longer. Then just grate them over the smallest grater or microplane, grind them in a coffee grinder, or my favorite mash them in a marble grinder by hand. It may be a lot of work, but it may pound out your frustrations too. 
Fresh ground spices will have far more powerful scents and flavors that will really bring your foods to life!