This hot, beautifully golden-hued drink features anti-inflammatory spices in a creamy, frothy format that is ideal to sip on in the morning, savour for an afternoon or enjoy as a bedtime snack. Turmeric, Curcuma longa was the “it” herb of 2016/17, and for good reason.

It has been used as a healing herb for hundreds of years in Ayurvedic medicine and other Asian medicine systems. By present day scientific standards, it has demonstrated potent anti-inflammatory properties. Interestingly, specific to our diet discussion, a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in 2008 found that turmeric suppresses the IgE-mediated allergic response (aka histamine response) and blocks mast cell activation (the cells that secrete histamine).

I make this latté in a base of coconut milk, as dairy (cow) is one of the key high-histamine food groups to avoid. Some people may also find nuts are a histamine liberating trigger food as well, so rather than almond milk, I find coconut or rice milk are safer (and equally tasty) alternatives. Cinnamon may also be a histamine trigger, so I replace it with cardamom, which is a delicious spice, used in chai and in Indian cuisine. Ginger and black pepper also have anti-inflammatory carminative properties, and lend their wonderful spice to this healing elixir.

Note: I use the fresh roots if I have them on hand or in the freezer, but if not, the powdered ones work well – in fact if you have someone in your family sensitive to textures, the powdered spices would be best as even in a high powered blender, the grated roots don’t get 100% pureed.

Tip: I like to store some fresh turmeric and ginger root in a sealed container in the freezer – then when I want to use them, I take them out for a few minutes to thaw a bit before grating with a zester. This way I still get the benefits of that fresh grated flavour and avoid getting sprayed with juice, which in the case of turmeric can be quite staining!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup coconut milk or rice milk
• 1 Tbsp fresh turmeric root, grated (or use 1-2 tsp turmeric paste*)
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger root, grated (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• Pinch of black pepper

Optional:

• 1/4 tsp cardamom
• Honey to taste

*To make the turmeric paste: combine 2 Tbsp turmeric powder
with 1 Tbsp boiling water. Store any extra in a glass jar in the
fridge for a week.

Instructions

This recipe makes a single, one cup serving.

1. Warm the coconut milk in a small saucepan, but do not boil.
2. Stir in turmeric and ginger.
3. Add the coconut oil and a pinch of black pepper and gently heat together until melted and heated through.
4. Stir in honey to taste.
5. To create foam, use a wire whisk or immersion blender. For an extra frothy latté use a high-speed blender.
6. Sip, savor & enjoy the golden goodness!