Golden Milk Turmeric Latte

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small saucepan (2-quart)
• •Whisk
• •Fine-mesh strainer (optional)
• •Microplane or nutmeg grater

Instructions

1. 1

   Warm the milk gently

   Pour the milk into a small saucepan and set it over medium-low heat. You want the milk warm enough to bloom the spices but never boiling. Watch for tiny bubbles forming around the edges and wisps of steam rising from the surface. This takes about three minutes. Patience here prevents the scorched taste that ruins everything.

   If using honey instead of maple syrup, wait until the milk cools slightly before adding it. High heat destroys honey's beneficial enzymes.
2. 2

   Add the spices

   Whisk in the turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom. The milk will transform instantly into a deep marigold gold. Keep whisking as you add the coconut oil, which melts on contact and helps carry the fat-soluble compounds into your body. The kitchen will smell like a spice market in the best possible way.

3. 3

   Simmer briefly

   Let the mixture simmer gently for three to four minutes, whisking occasionally. The spices need time to release their essential oils into the warm fat. You'll notice the aroma deepening, becoming rounder and more complex. The surface should show lazy, occasional bubbles, never a rolling boil.

   Fresh ginger makes a brighter, more pungent drink. Ground ginger produces a mellower warmth. Both work. Use what you have.
4. 4

   Add sweetener and pepper

   Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the maple syrup until dissolved. Now add the black pepper. This seems counterintuitive, but the piperine in black pepper increases curcumin absorption by up to 2000 percent. One eighth teaspoon is enough to do the work without making the drink taste peppery.

5. 5

   Strain if desired

   If you used fresh grated ginger, pour the golden milk through a fine-mesh strainer into your mugs. If you used all ground spices, pour directly. Some people prefer the slight grittiness of the spices settling at the bottom. I find it honest. A drink should remind you what's in it.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Grate fresh nutmeg over each mug, just two or three passes on a microplane. The nutmeg's volatile oils dissipate quickly, so this final touch must happen at the table. Serve immediately while steam still rises from the surface. This is a drink that wants to be held with both hands.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out turmeric from a spice merchant with high turnover. The ground turmeric that's been sitting in your cabinet for three years has lost most of its potency and all of its vibrancy. Fresh turmeric root, peeled and grated, produces the most vivid color and sharpest flavor.
• •This drink batches beautifully for a gathering. Make a double or triple recipe, keep it warm in a small slow cooker on the lowest setting, and let guests ladle their own portions. Add the nutmeg to a small grater beside the pot.
• •For a richer, more indulgent version, use coconut cream instead of milk. The result is thicker, more unctuous, and particularly good before bed.
• •Turmeric stains everything it touches. Treat your wooden spoons as sacrificial. Stainless steel and glass clean easily, but that bright yellow will never leave your plastic containers.

Advance Preparation

• •The spice blend (turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and pepper) can be mixed in larger quantities and stored in a small jar for up to three months. Use one and a half teaspoons of the blend per two cups of milk.
• •Golden milk can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to three days. Reheat gently over low heat, whisking to reincorporate the spices that settle. Add fresh nutmeg after reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 260g)