Oh turmeric, how I love thee

As a child I remember savouring the taste of milky turmeric tea, made fresh from the roots bought at our local markets, whenever we needed a ‘cleanse.’

It was occasional and the only time I welcomed a cleanse. Outside of this, we consumed turmeric a fair deal. My Indian grandmom frequently added turmeric to her pots when she made her wicked, moreish curries (curried shark or prawns are my fav).

One of my favourite spices, turmeric is a relative of the ginger root, and its star component is curcumin which gives the spice its colour and many of its famed healing properties.

Due to limited scientific studies there is still uncertainty around the credibility of some of the claims. Some studies however, including ones carried out by researchers in Nottingham and Munich found curcumin to be helpful in treated painful inflammatory conditions like arthritis.

My family has been using natural remedies including turmeric for a long time. I actually believe this is among the many natural remedies that have supported me to better manage fibromyalgia.

Powder vs root

I’ve noted that everywhere on the internet I see people talking about turmeric tea it’s with the powder. I’m not going to argue the case, but I honestly, always believe in using fruit and veg as fresh as I can get them. Turmeric is believed to lose some of its properties when it goes through the powdering process. On this basis, I’d strongly suggest trying to find the roots for the full benefits. It can be tricky to find the roots depending on where you live but what I do is I buy it from the local markets when I can get them, or if I’m having trouble finding them in London I order the roots from Amazon (yep Amazon’s got turmeric root!), grate and bag, then pop into the freezer, and just use as and when I need it.

N.B Please don’t overdue it with the turmeric tea- too much too often can cause acid reflux, which we people with fibromyalgia often struggle with. It’s best in moderation. Pregnant/breastfeeding women, people taking blood thinners, and people with gallstones should not use turmeric. If unsure, check with your GP first.

Here’s how I make turmeric tea. It has a very pleasant, soft fragrant taste with milk.

Serving about 5 cups (bottle the rest & stick in the fridge)

Ingredients

A handful of grated turmeric root (roughly 5-6 tablespoons)

5 cups water

Milk of your choice (I use coconut milk)

Sugar to taste

Cardamom  (pod – optional)

Method

Add water to pan and bring to boil. Add turmeric and leave to boil then simmer on a low heat with lid partially on, for about 15 minutes depending on the strength you want. I often forget it on the cooker and end up getting a nice strong brew. If you’d like to add a few cardamom pods, toss them in now.

Strain and bottle.

When you’re ready to have a cup, add sugar and milk (or milk alternative to taste).

You can re use the boiled turmeric for another pot if you fancy. If you’re really needing a pick-me-up you can add a handful of grated ginger to the pot while it’s simmering.

Gentle hugs 🙂

Cover image by Steven Jackson