Celebrate International Turmeric Day with a Golden Latte

The yellow superfood has earned its wings by finding it est into so many hearts, becoming worldwide loved thanks to its many benefits and uses. And starting last year, it now also has its own International Turmeric Day. So, I want to pay tribute to this magical spice, reviewing some of its unique uses and share with you a recipe for my favourite one, the Golden Latte.

By Little Chilean

@gaby.o

The world’s first ever International Turmeric Day took place last year on the 8th of October, when people around the globe gathered to celebrate the power of the golden spice. So, this year, the celebrations are coming back with a bang, and we, at Life Lovers Magazine, didn’t want to miss them.

The truth is I love Turmeric, but I still feel there’s not enough said about it, compared to other superfoods. And that’s the main thing, really. Turmeric is not just a spice, but actually a superfood with great benefits and a fascinating range of uses that goes beyond its taste.

You may have tried it already in a meal, mixed with other spices, like in a curry, or as a latte. But you might not know that Turmeric also “possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, thanks to the active compound, curcumin, which could potentially alleviate a number of health conditions. For this reason, turmeric has certainly achieved superfood status”, according to The Turmeric Co.

To popularize and raise awareness of the healing benefits of Turmeric, VAHDAM® India, an amazing tea producer and turmeric lover, decided this spice was in desperate need of some worldwide recognition. So, last year they put all their love and determination into spreading the word –quite successfully, I may add– about the benefits of this yellow magic centred around the first International Turmeric Day.

About this, VAHDAM® India’s founder, Bala, added: “India is a magical, magical land. From the world’s finest teas, delectable spices and enriching Ayurveda, to the healing art of yoga – all originate from our magnificent country. By establishing International Turmeric Day, the idea was simple: to bring to you a dose of holistic Indian wellness wisdom by adapting turmeric to your everyday life.”  (– Wellbeing Magazine).

The big day had a global schedule of events taking place in the UK, USA India, and Canada, open for everyone to experience and enjoy, and fall in love with Turmeric. Like the Turmeric Lounge for Healing & relaxing in London, New York and New Delhi, pop-up stores around the world, and online activities like giveaways, turmeric DIY videos, recipes, blogs, educational Videos and more.

FUN FACT: India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of turmeric in the world, contributing 80% of the world’s turmeric production and 60% of the world’s exports

Ways to celebrate Turmeric Day on October 8th!

Now that you know how amazing it is, you might be wondering what we can do to celebrate it? Well, this might come as a surprise, but relaxing would be the first option. 

Nowadays, when the world feels like it’s spinning faster by the minute, finding natural ways to relax and tell our body to slowdown and rest are harder to find, but even more important to achieve. So, a day when you can hit ‘pause’ on all the stress and move towards healing with Turmeric sounds like the best “excuse” we could get out from this International Turmeric Day. It is definitely a good one for me.

But, there are also many ways to jump in on the Turmeric love this October 8th. So, why don’t you join me submerging ourselves into a golden day. Here are 8 ways to celebrate International Turmeric Day.

1. Self-care: Kick back and relax with a pampering Turmeric facial is a great way to slow down on this day. Put your apron on and stir up a super-easy Turmeric recipe, like the Face Mask DIY one from Bonterra’s website.

2. Spice up your meals: Use it as a classic and never-fail spice into your favourite curry. For me, a red lentils coconut curry is nothing without Turmeric. And it’s one of the best ways to enjoy a full and rich meal, packed with nutrients and benefits, while also being super tasty.

3. Ceremonial use: Hindu religion sees turmeric as auspicious and sacred. Hindu wedding days are known as the Turmeric (haldi) ceremony where a paste mixed from Turmeric powder, curd, sandalwood, gram flour, and either milk or rose water is applied to the bride and groom’s skin by their families

4. Clothes Dying: As you might know, back in the day, you know, when clothing wasn’t created industrially and international commerce wasn’t an everyday thing, there was a time when people dyed their clothes with natural pigments from flowers and spices. So, as you can imagine, Turmeric is a very strong dying agent when we want to turn something yellow.

5. Medicine: Turmeric has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years due to its anti-inflammatory properties. But it’s also highly beneficial in aiding joint pain and digestive issues. 

“According to ancient Ayurvedic texts, this golden botanical helps to support a healthy stomach, digestive system, colon (healthy gut), and liver. It’s also been used to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system and circulatory system”, states the Ayurvedic site, The Pulse.

6. A Shot: And due to that, one of the easiest or fastest ways to enjoy the benefits of our Golden favourite spice is with a shot of Turmeric. Give it a shot with Unrooted’s Turmeric and Ginger shots (no pun intended!)

7. Herbal Tea: Turmeric in a sustainable tea bag. Need to say more? Personally, I love their Turmeric Ginger Tea as it’s a perfect balance of flavours to enjoy anytime of the day, and it comes in pyramid-shaped tea bags. 

This type of tea bags allow for “more room for the tea leaves to unfurl, offering a rich and flavorful cup of tea”. And they’re made with either high-grade Nylon mesh tea bags and moving towards plant based tea bags, according to their website.

8. Golden Latte:This is the perfect afternoon pick-me-up when you need something to keep your hunger at bay till dinner. The health perks alone, which include anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich properties, makes it worth this space. 

Or, do as I am doing now, and enjoy it first thing in the morning mixed with oat milk. It has that homey warmth that simply makes you happy, and it’s way less invasive to your belly than coffee –which I leave till’ mid-morning.

Try Koro’s Golden Drink Mix. It’s delicious, and it comes with plenty of superpower spices.  They mixed “the best ingredients together for you so that you don’t have to take over the magic mixture like a magic fairy in the morning. The full tuber power of turmeric and ginger with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and pepper end up in our Golden Milk Mix.”. You can find it at https://www.koro-shop.com/ or at your country’s site.

How to make a Golden Latte

And now, to what’s promised. Whether it is to try it today while you wait for your Koro Golden Drink to arrive, or simply because you love some home-made drinks, we’ll now learn how to prepare the super simple and delicious Golden Latte.

This recipe is inspired by The Minimalist Baker and adapted to what I had at home, and to my own preferences.

Ingredients:

• 250 ml oat milk
• 1 and a half tsp of ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger 
• 1 half of a whole cinnamon stick (or 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon)
• 1 tsp of vanilla syrup or ½ tsp of vanilla extract.
• Half a pinch of ground black pepper
• 1 tsp of raw sugar (pr your sweetener of choice)

Instructions:

1. To a small saucepan, add the milk, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, and the sweetener of choice.

Note: If you have a milk frother, feel free to mix it all in there, as it’ll give you that foamy finish.

2. Whisk to combine and warm over medium heat. Heat until hot to the touch but not boiling – about 4 minutes – whisking frequently.

3. Turn off heat and taste to adjust flavour. Add more turmeric or ginger for a more intense spicy flavour.

4. Serve and enjoy! Happy International Turmeric Day!

Note: Our friends at The Minimalist Baker have found that using a mix of light coconut milk and unsweetened almond milk creates the perfect creamy base. Worth trying it out, I’d say!

If you try this recipe, let us know by leaving a comment on our socials, and tagging a photo using #lifeloversmag and #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, Life Lovers!

---