They call it ‘Golden Milk’… And it’s been a quasi-secret Hindu cultural treasure almost forever. ‘Turmeric milk is a reminder of the unconditional care of the people who nursed us back to health and histories that stretch back into our ancestry.”
I’ve read several posts by Indian cooks and historians, and the overriding theme of their contri-butions to the literature focuses on how much they hated Golden Milk. Some commenters admit that’s because they, even now, equate it with being sick. From what these folks say, I’ve deduced that Golden Milk is the Indian equivalent of Chicken Soup…
A little history…
“The Indian monsoon is often romanticized in poetry, song, and love stories. However, as a child in my hometown of Mumbai, its arrival usually meant a week of cold, fever, and a sinus infection,” recalls food historian Nandita Godbole. “To remedy this, my mother and my grandmother would feed me nourishing, hydrating Ayurvedic remedies between mealtimes. […] To soothe the rib-rattling cough that came with it all, it was either a cup of an herbal decoction or my least favorite: turmeric milk.”
“Time and again, I’ve tapped into what I had learned or already knew about traditional Indian cures. […] I[‘ve] frequently sought turmeric milk to hasten healing, and began to love the easy and effortless care each cup offered, including offering time for introspection and quiet meditation.
“It also triggered research for my book Seven Pots of Tea: An Ayurvedic approach to sips & nosh.”The book was partly an effort to untangle the complex socio-cultural history of chai as the ‘national drink’ of India, and partly to revive, anchor, and reclaim traditional Ayurvedic knowledge around healing drinks that pre-dated chai, including turmeric milk.”
What it is
Golden Milk is, classically, an infusion in warmed milk of turmeric plus other classic Asian spices, honey and vanilla.
Tea aficionado, and proprietor of teaforturmeric.com, Izzah Cheema, gifts us with her own, authentic recipe for the ancient Indian cure-all…
“This Golden Milk recipe is easy, traditional, and optimized for absorption, but the real clutch? It’s outrageously delicious. The key is not to overload it with turmeric, which can make it taste medicinal and bitter. Plus, using a balanced blend of spices adds flavor and warmth while enhancing its nour-ishing properties. Comfort in a cup!”
My take
I haven’t had the occasion to try it yet, but I’ve made a promise to myself to brew up a batch of Golden Milk when I next fall prey to a cold or the flu.
As for all the cautions about graininess, pastiness and bitter flavour, I’ll adjust the honey and spices to make it at least palatable; ideally, delicious.
Coincidentally, Turmeric has been revived recently by modern science as a – dare we say ‘newstalgic? – health and wellness booster. Just Google ‘turmeric health’ and see how many learned study report links you get back…
~ Maggie J.