Warm, tasty and healthy: we have a simple, natural tip against colds.
"Golden latte" is the name of the food trend - the yellow milk drink is highly popular in the USA and originally comes from India. Instead of coffee, turmeric powder is added to the warm milk and flavored with other spices and honey. Celebrities and bloggers alike swear by the drink.
Turmeric is a yellow-orange tuber from South Asia and belongs to the ginger family. Turmeric is said to have many good properties. It is said to have an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect, strengthen the immune system and aid digestion - especially the digestion of fat, which of course further increases the popularity of turmeric.
Everyday spice
In India, turmeric is an everyday spice and is used in much the same way as we use salt and pepper. It can almost always be found in sauces and curries. But the "golden latte" is not a Western invention either: Indian parents have always given their children warm milk with turmeric when they have a cold.
"I had to laugh when I saw that Starbucks sells turmeric lattes in the USA," says Tanvi Jain, an Indian architect. "For us, it's like an international café chain selling cough syrup here - and people find it trendy."
Just a fashion?
So is turmeric latte simply a trendy lifestyle, or is the "golden latte" really that healthy? In the traditional Indian healing art of Ayurveda, turmeric is one of the most important spices in the medicine cabinet and is one of the so-called "hot" spices, which are said to have a cleansing and energizing effect.
Hot, bitter and astringent substances such as turmeric have a particularly balancing effect on mucus in the respiratory tract. However, those who tend to have dry mucous membranes and skin should be careful not to take too much turmeric.
According to Ayurvedic teachings, turmeric has an anti-inflammatory and skin-therapeutic effect, purifies the blood, helps against intestinal fungi and parasites, boosts fat metabolism and is also used medicinally for diabetics.
Please note: Fat solubility
Taking turmeric in the form of a latte makes perfect sense. In general, turmeric makes milk easier to digest, especially if a little ginger is also added. And with milk, turmeric has the best effect on the immune system.
It is important to know that turmeric is fat-soluble. Turmeric should therefore always be added to dishes from the start and roasted with oil or ghee (Indian clarified butter). The fat in the milk is sufficient for the latte.
In Ayurveda, spices with a carrier substance are generally said to have a better effect. Turmeric with honey and hot water, for example, helps with diabetes, turmeric with goat's yoghurt helps with intestinal inflammation and turmeric with ghee helps with skin complaints.
Recipe for "Golden Latte"
Ingredients
- 1 glass of milk
- ½ spoon of turmeric powder
Preparation
Add ginger, honey, cinnamon and/or cardamom to taste. Heat on the hob and enjoy.
