The popularity surrounding turmeric in food and drink – and especially the recent trend in adding turmeric to milk and creating turmeric latte – may seem to many like a recent development. But look past the hip photos on Instagram and the YouTube bloggers’ fancy videos, and you’ll find that this fascinating foodstuff has a history dating back thousands of years.
Maybe you’re wondering how to make golden milk? Or perhaps you’ve even thought about making yourself a golden latte recently? If not, then you’re not alone. Although the benefits of turmeric milk are becoming an increasingly popular culinary story, and for good reasons, it’s still not that widely enjoyed yet. In this article, we’ll explore where this popularity comes from – what are the benefits of turmeric milk, and what are the best turmeric latte recipes? And what about using turmeric milk for sleep aids? We’ll investigate!
Let’s get back to basics. What is turmeric? Well, it’s widely known as an ingredient in curries, originating from south Asia. It has long been a part of the Ayurvedic medicine tradition in India, popular because of the health benefits many associate it with. Turmeric milk is also sometimes known in Asia as haldi doodh and in drink form, turmeric latte benefits have seen people use it to combat everything from cancer to the common cold. Turmeric is a member of the ginger family, whose own health benefits have long been known about.
Another great thing about turmeric milk is that you can add so many other health-giving natural ingredients to it – such as yoghurt, cinnamon and pepper. In fact, black pepper reacts with the turmeric and increases its bioavailability in the body – i.e. the amount that can enter your bloodstream.
How to make turmeric milk?
Here’s a simple turmeric milk recipe for you to try at home, though there are many interesting and tasty variations too:
- Firstly, choose which milk you want to use. It doesn’t have to be cow’s milk, but can instead be almond, soy or oat milk – which is especially handy for dairy-free and vegan recipes. Get 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, a little cinnamon (around half as much as the turmeric), and some maple syrup, if you prefer it a bit sweeter.
- Put 350ml of your chosen milk into a pan and warm it (but don’t let it boil).
- Take it off the heat and add your turmeric and other ingredients and stir.
- If you’d like it to be a little more like a cappuccino then you can use a milk-frother here, otherwise leave it as it is for a superb turmeric latte!
There are many such turmeric latte recipes. Some like to add ground ginger (around ¼ of a teaspoon usually does the trick), or a grind of black pepper, making a great traditional golden milk recipe – which will particularly appeal to those who love a part-sweet and part-savoury drink that contains all-natural ingredients which are simply bursting with flavours and goodness. So next time you’re wondering how to make a turmeric latte, you can try some of these fab ideas to get you started.
What is golden milk?
Golden milk is the most popular name for the combination of turmeric and milk (though you’ll sometimes see it spelled as ‘golden mylk’ to differentiate plant-based milks from cows’ milk). From around 2015 onwards, searches for ‘golden milk lattés’ on Google increased dramatically. Not only does the drink look great (like a coffee made with liquid gold!), it’s also guilt-free and a really refreshing drink.
Turmeric Latte benefits
The main health benefit of turmeric – and many related vegetables and spices – is its antioxidant properties. This means that they combat the harmful and damaging effects of oxidation which can occur in your body’s cells. In addition, turmeric milk is highly anti-inflammatory, meaning it lowers the risk of many chronic diseases which are caused by inflammation, such as arthritis and some disorders of the bowel.
Turmeric contains many essential nutrients, meaning that your golden turmeric milk will provide the manganese and iron that your body needs each day to function properly. Manganese is great for bone health, and is anti-inflammatory, while iron helps red-blood cells to carry oxygen around your body, helping growth, development and energy levels.
There are many other claimed benefits which people have associated with turmeric for a long time, though it’s important to note that there have only been small, limited scientific studies, and so the medical evidence is not conclusive for all golden milk benefits. Some others that have been historically associated with turmeric include:
- Improving mood – small studies have shown the active ingredient in turmeric – curcumin – helped to reduce depressive symptoms
- Helping to prevent heart disease
- Lowering blood sugar
- Boosting the immune system
Possible side effects of over consumption of Turmeric Latte
You may be wondering if there are any golden milk side effects? As with any natural product, it’s important to consume turmeric in moderation, and as part of a healthy, balanced diet. The usual advice for turmeric is that around ½ to 1 teaspoon per day should suffice. Otherwise, you may end up with unpleasant side effects. These can include:
- An upset stomach
- Some nausea and diarrhoea
- An allergic reaction
- Iron deficiency
- An increased risk of kidney stones or iron deficiency (rarely)
Turmeric in coffee?
Turmeric – or the Golden Root as it is sometimes known – can be used in coffee too. A teaspoon or so in a coffee may make it taste more bitter than usual, so many baristas add ginger or orange zest to sweeten the flavour and create a healthy and pretty unique turmeric coffee. Some people also drink it as a tea – often as a ready-blended mix of turmeric, citrus flavours, vanilla and ginger, to make a really refreshing turmeric chai latte.
Making your own Turmeric Latte Powder
If you don’t fancy mixing and blending spices together every time you want a delicious golden turmeric latté, then you can either buy a ready-made mixture in a tin, or even better – make your own turmeric latte powder at home! Here’s a suggested recipe you could try:
- 10 tablespoons of turmeric powder
- 6 tbsp of cinnamon
- 2 tbsp of powdered cardamom
- 1 tbsp of powdered ginger.
Be sure to mix everything up well, so that each turmeric latte has a nice, balanced flavour. Want to add even more variety to your turmeric golden milk mixture? Then how about trying some nutmeg (1/4 teaspoon), mixed spices (2 tsp) or 4 pinches of vanilla seeds?
Quick read summary
Q. What is turmeric and why should I drink turmeric and milk?
A. Turmeric is a bright orange root vegetable with health giving properties, often used in Asian cuisine. It can also be drunk with milk (animal or plant) to give a unique drink known as a turmeric latté.
Q. What is golden milk?
A. It is simply the popular name for the drink made from milk and turmeric, as well as other spices.
Q. What are the health benefits of a turmeric latte?
A. Many people believe in the health-giving properties of turmeric and of ginger, the family of plants that turmeric comes from. They associate it with having anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, as well as mood improvement, though the scientific evidence is not yet conclusive on this.
Q. What other ingredients can I add to a golden milk recipe?
A. Lots! Some people try maple syrup to sweeten their turmeric latte, and you can also try adding cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg too.
Q. Can I add turmeric to coffee?
A. Yes – if the flavour is a little bitter for you, try adding ginger or orange zest to sweeten it a little.
Q. What about making my own turmeric latte powder?
A. This is something you might want to do at home too, though you can buy it ready mixed as well. When making your own, make sure everything is properly mixed together to get the best balance of flavour in each serving of golden milk that you make.
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