I’ve noticed that turmeric is appearing in drinks in several places in Vancouver. As I am writing this article, the rain and sun are battling it out. I wonder if we are dyeing our drinks bright yellow as an offering to some Sun Goddess in hopes that She will coax out the sun long enough for us to feel its warmth on our sun-deprived skin.
Dried turmeric is the poor man’s saffron — it will dye any food a bright sunny yellow. Fresh turmeric is a rhizome that looks like a small skinny piece of ginger (about the size of a pinky finger) but when you peel its skin you will find a carrot-y orange interior. Freshly grated turmeric tastes like an earthier ginger with a note of citrus.
Turmeric has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries for indigestion, throat infections, common colds and liver ailments. Beka Trigg from Funky Fresh Juice Company told me that to maximize its anti-inflammatory qualities turmeric must be paired with black pepper. A drink used in traditional Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic medicines, called golden milk, has been consumed for thousands of years and is made by heating fresh grated turmeric with milk or nut milk, spices and sweetener.
I tried all the drinks in Vancouver that I could find that used this tingly rhizome. I found hot and cold drinks, smoothies, juices, and lattes (sort of). I arranged the list from starter drink to full-on turmeric.
