Turmeric milk

One of the spices I discovered rather late in my cooking career was Turmeric. It is exotic and as a child, growing up in East Germany, I had never heard of it. Even later, when Indian food was known to me, I completely ignored it in my own meal preparations.

Only know, after I discovered healthier, often raw 'cooked' meals, made with many spices rather then just salt and pepper, after learning of the many benefits of herbs and spices in a preventive medicinal way, I found my way to Turmeric. It is also known as Goldenseal.

here

It is not to be missed: The deep golden yellow color and it's staining power make it surely memorably to deal with, from cooking utensils to fingertips all will be marked yellow. So be careful when you use it. An old t-shirt is preferred in the kitchen and stay away from white!
Bleach could become be your best friend...

turmeric rhizomes

I use turmeric mainly as an digestive aid. It is wonderful after any large meal, indulgence after rich deserts or cooked meals, which need a little help along the digestive tract. 
I found the turmeric root at Whole Foods on occasion and grate it raw into salads.
So far I mixed it also in warm drinks, but I learned of a better way to prepare it. 
This recipe combines the benefits of turmeric, ginger and raw honey.
I found it tasty, lightly spicy and yet sweet enough to easily drink as a tea. 
Since I am not using any dairy I substituted the milk with almond milk.
If you drink dairy, feel free to exchange the almond milk with regular cow's milk.

This spice is used as a tea in Ayurvedic practices for curcumin present in turmeric. It acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and remedies gastrointestinal discomfort associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and other digestive disorders.
It also lowers cholesterol, reduces platelet aggregation, inhibits proliferation of cancer cells and improves digestion by improving the flow of bile from the gallbladder.
It also acts as an external antibiotic in preventing bacterial infection in wounds. (cuts, burns and bruises)

How to make it:

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil, add 1 teaspoon of turmeric, 1 1/2 teaspoons of ginger powder and simmer for 10 min. 
Strain through a fine mesh into a large bottle, add 1 cup of milk. Mix it all up. After cooling enough to be just warm, add raw honey to your liking. 

I leave the honey until I am ready to drink the warm tea and then add about a large teaspoon per cup.

Enjoy!

Images as indicated and by V.Zlotkowski