I never thought one of my childhood memories would become such a popular trendy thing. I remember my mom making me a warm drink before bed with turmeric, milk, and other spices. Currently, Golden milk is at its peak trend enjoyed by many Americans and people around the world.
I never thought one of my childhood memories would become such a popular trendy thing. I remember my mom making me a warm drink before bed with turmeric, milk, and other spices. Currently, Golden Milk is at its peak trend enjoyed by many Americans and people around the world.
History: The golden milk recipe shares its ancestry with Ayurvedic Medicine dating back thousands of years. It is said that Turmeric milk supports and enhances vitality called Ojas in Sanskrit. With the richness of a variety of herbs and creamy texture, it sets the perfect stage for your golden hour. The gold ingredient of the golden milk is none other than turmeric called Curcuma Longa in Latin.
Recipe: Ingredients 1 teaspoon of turmeric, 1 cup of milk*, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon cardamom, 3-5 saffron strands, ½ teaspoon of freshly chopped ginger
- Bring a cup of milk to boil
- Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric and stir
- Add ½ teaspoon of each of these spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger to the milk and steep for 3- 5 min
- Add 3-5 strands of saffron and add sugar or honey to taste
- Serve warm
* You may also use non-dairy milk as a substitute such as oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk.
You can download a PDF of the Golden Milk recipe here!
Sit with a cup while you read about the golden milk benefits of different ingredients:
Curcuma Longa: Curcuma Longa has its origin in South Asia and the herb is part of the Zingerbacia family. Turmeric has been traditionally used for anti-inflammatory purposes. Curcumin is the major constituent of the turmeric that is associated with health benefits and growing scientific research interest. Turmeric by itself is exceedingly difficult to absorb by our body. However, our ancestors got this right, they taught us to use it in oil or milk fat which helps the absorption and makes it bioavailable for our body. Similarly, another way to improve its absorption by 2000% is by adding pepper (piper nigrum) to the turmeric. Curcumin can be used for post work out recovery, aches, and pain, helping with mood, mental clarity, and so on.
What other herbs and spices can you add to your Golden Milk?
Cinnamon: Cinnamomum Cassia can be a great addition to the golden milk because Cinnamon acts as a synergist in most herbal formulations. Benefits of Cinnamon include blood sugar regulation, a rich antioxidant, and flavoring agent. There are two types of cinnamon namely true and cassia, if you are using it in large amounts daily, you want to stick to the true type namely Ceylon, Verum, Siagon.
Cardamom: Elettaria cardamomum is one of the most aromatic and cooling herbs that goes very well with golden milk. Cardamom has carminative action which means it can help with intestinal gas and bloating.
Ginger: Zingiber officinal is a warming, pungent, and versatile herb that usually acts as a driver in an herbal formulation. Ginger adds great taste and flavor to food and drinks including golden milk. Traditionally, it is used for gas, bloating, nausea, and recent studies have been shown to provide pain relief during menses, migraine headaches and improve digestion.
Saffron: Crocus sativus comes from an orchid flower and it is one of the most expensive herbs in the world. Saffron can add a great touch to golden milk in terms of taste and color. Saffron spice comes from a filament that grows inside the flower. Recent clinical studies have shown to reduce symptoms of mild to moderate depression. Traditionally, it was used to improve vitality, mood, and used as an aphrodisiac.
I hope you can enjoy this warm cozy drink at any time. It may be a replacement for your tea or coffee in the morning, a nice way to wind down at the end of the busy day or use it as a sleep aid before going to bed. It is extremely easy to find all the ingredients at your local grocery stores, however, if you want a recipe that is pre-made then please try our Organic Golden Milk and read more about our family farm that grows herbs and spices sustainably and organically.
Disclaimer: This blog content is not a medical advice and not intended to be a substitute for diagnosis and treatment and if you have any questions about your health, please reach out to your health care provider. Please do not disregard professional medical advice based on your reading on this website. I do not endorse any financial gain from Nepal tea LLC. It is family owned and I have tried my best to avoid bias in compiling the material, however, it is difficult to avoid implicit bias, therefore, please be aware about the content.
Contributor: Sudikshya Baskota, ND
Dr. Baskota is a Naturopathic Physician provides who Primary Care Services in the State of WA. She is passionate about patient-centric medicine and integrative care medical model; empowering patients to achieve wellness. She utilizes wide range of therapies in her practice including nutrition and lifestyle along with botanical medicine, mind-body therapies, pharmaceuticals, minor office procedures, ayurvedic medicine and so on. Her interests are adult primary care, women’s health, gastrointestinal disorders, hypertension, diabetes, depression, anxiety, stress management.
Dr. Baskota provides patient care through Cedar Avenue Integrative Medicine located at Snohomish, WA. Additionally, she works as adjunct faculty at the teaching clinic of Bastyr University and she also provides adjunctive care at the neighbor care community clinic at West Seattle High School. Her clinical experience also includes providing adjunctive patient care to women of all ages as well as pregnant women at the Women’s clinic in Bellevue. She is an active member of the Naturopathic Academy of Primary Care Physicians. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, spending time with her loved ones, cooking, reading, utilizes yoga and meditation for her self-care.
Languages: English, Nepali, Hindi
For more information and questions:
http://www.cedaravenuemedicine.com/Home/Practitioners/Baskota