‘What the heck is this turmeric latte or golden milk all about? Sounds a bit weird!’ That’s what I was thinking about when I first started seeing the hype. Supposedly the next big cult drink of 2016 due to the anti-inflamatory and anti-oxidant properties of the turmeric. I wasn’t convinced. Would it be like drinking watered-down curry? Would it wake me up in the morning like my favourite first cup of coffee - despite the lack of caffeine? I was going to forget about it - thinking I’d maybe try it if Starbucks put it on their specials menu, but then I kept thinking about a delicious rice-pudding-style dessert called Kheer that one of my Indian colleagues had brought into work once (when I worked in an office job). It was a creamy dessert made with rice, milk and pistachios, but it was also flavoured with cardamon - something I’d only ever associated with savoury dishes. If cardamon could taste so delicious in a sweet dish, then why not turmeric?
So I did a little experimentation…. It tried making it with almond milk and also with regular milk. With and without sugar and also with and without a sneaky spoon of coffee. And you know what? It’s flippin tasty! My favourite version was made with almond milk, a little coconut sugar and coffee. I only used ¾ tsp of really good quality instant coffee per cup, so you couldn’t taste it too much, but I felt it made it more like a morning drink to get you moving - rather than a warm and comforting drink that makes you want to curl up on the sofa. The flavour is earthy and warming with a slight hint of heat coming from the turmeric and ginger.
I’ve only recently started using coconut sugar. Have you tried it? It’s a brown sugar - a little less sweet than regular sugar, and it’s got this deep caramel-ish scent to it. I haven’t tried it in baking yet, but I’m looking forward to using it in some cookies and cakes - like this Carrot and Orange Traybake. It’s supposed to be much better than regular sugar (less processed, more nutrients, lower GI etc). I thought the flavour would work well in the latte without making it sickly sweet. I don’t usually have sugar at all in coffee, so was really looking for something with just a hint of sweetness to balance out the spices. The latte needs to be made in a pan and whisked to get a foamy topping (some people blend it, but I’m not keen on putting hot liquids in my blender - I’m too accident prone). If you do add coffee, it will look more of a brownish yellow rather than the well-known golden colour, but it will turn more yellow as the milk is heated through. I’ll definitely make it again. It’s not an every day coffee (a bit too much effort first thing in the morning), but I could easily see myself enjoying one with a piece of fruit toast at the weekend. Be warned though - try not to spill. You will have a yellow-splodged countertop and t-shirt that requires a fair bit of scrubbing to get out. Told you I was accident prone.
The Turmeric Latte with Coffee Recipe:
