Winter is the perfect time to find a new, warm beverage to sip during those long, cold evenings. The call for after-dinner snacks (or should I say scream) seems to get louder this time of year, making nighttime munchies more difficult to ignore. Sipping on a warm beverage can keep you from answering that pesky shout from your kitchen.
My usual go-to teas are hibiscus, peppermint, and decaffeinated green tea. The vanilla caramel from Bigalow is liquid dessert in a mug. But my new favorite is turmeric tea. It’s easy to make and enjoyable to sip. Best of all, the curcumin in turmeric is a natural carcinogen blocker. The exotic yellow pigment of curcumin has long been studied for it’s antioxidant and anti-cancer benefits. There is no specific amount of turmeric that is recommended but studies suggest that as little as 1/4 teaspoon can be beneficial. Adding black pepper to turmeric increases its bioavailability, significantly increasing curcumin’s impact. Even a pinch of black pepper can boost the level of curcumin absorbed.
I make this tea in a large batch and refrigerate whatever I don’t drink so I can reheat and drink it over several nights. After pouring the golden-hued tea in a mug, add a pinch of freshly grated black pepper, a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime and a teaspoon of honey. Find a good book, put your feet up and enjoy! You won’t miss the cookies or chips!
Turmeric Tea with Honey and Lemon
Ingredients
4 cups water
1-1/2 teaspoons turmeric
Freshly ground pepper, fresh lemon or lime juice, honey
Directions
In a saucepan, bring four cups of water to a boil. Add 1-1/2 teaspoons of ground turmeric. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Strain tea through a fine sieve or tea strainer. Per cup of tea, add a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice, 1 teaspoon honey and a pinch of freshly ground pepper.
Note: The yellow pigment in turmeric can stain counter surfaces, pots, and mugs. Here’s a link from Food52 on how to remove these stains.
judymatusky.com
Does the turmeric need to be cooked to be medicinal?
Curcuminoids, the antioxidants in turmeric, are bioavailable both with or without cooking.
I’m gonna try this
Hope you enjoy it!
This Is my favourite.
Thank you!
I am already taking 1000 mg capsules every morning and night. Will more turmeric hurt
Thank you for your comment. I am not as familiar with turmeric in capsule form. I prefer using food sources of turmeric.
I will try this, I usually take a tsp of organic tumeric and a tsp black pepper in about 3 ozs of mango puree 3x a week
My complete combo, with ginger
Ginger would be fabulous with this tea!
I like it but need to find a way to not taste the pepper.
Maybe try using less pepper or adding some ginger powder to help with flavor.
I was just talking to my doctor about adding tumeric to my diet. It’s sad how little Western medicine knows about nutritional health treatments. Definitely going to add this to my evening routine! Thanks…
I hope you tried this and like it.
Love tumeric tea..
where is the best place to buy this tumeric powder
There are many companies that provide high quality turmeric. I tend to purchase from Penzy, Burlap and Barrel and Diaspora Co.
Turmeric and honey tea is one my favorite for many reasons!