Turmeric Tea with Honey

 As I sipped a cup of piping-hot Turmeric Tea with Honey, I pondered on how the word ‘health’ has meant more to me today than it did when I was a child. You don’t really value what you have till you lose it.

I lost my voice and was in bed for days on end with an upper respiratory infection. My friends sent emails: “It must have been the extreme changes in temperature from hot, humid Philippines to chilly New Jersey.” Others said “it must have been the hectic schedule during your Philippine trip.” I agreed with everyone.  But it was not convenient to be ‘under the weather’ especially during the busy Christmas season.

Fortunately, my younger son was home visiting us for the weekend and made me a large pot of turmeric tea. My sons have grown up to be very health conscious, at times even more than us, their parents.

The powdered turmeric (photo above) has a deep yellow color with a curry-like aroma.Natural turmeric root below looks like long pieces of ginger root. The photo below was taken by my good friend, Nonna Nanagas, who grows turmeric at her farm in the Philippines.

Turmeric is known in the Philippines as luyang dilaw (yellow ginger). Turmeric has an intense herbal, peppery aroma and flavor. It is more herbal and earthy than regular ginger. I have blogged about recipes using turmeric— Shrimp Rice and Adobong Dilaw (Yellow Adobo). Both were scrumptious. But this is the first time I’m sharing an easy turmeric tea recipe which my son made for me.

My son, Constante gave me a list of turmeric’s health benefits. A quick glance at the websites of Dr. Weil, NutritionStripped.com and MeghanTelpner.com convinced me even more of turmeric’s natural health benefits: Turmeric may prevent slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease; it has natural anti-inflammatory healing effects especially for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis; it is a natural pain killer; turmeric aids in metabolism; it soothes an upset stomach; it prevents flu viruses; as a drink soothes and heals a sore throat to name a few.

You can choose to make turmeric tea with natural turmeric roots (luyang dilaw in the Philippines) or else brew several cups with organic turmeric powder which are easy to find in health food stores.

I added Honey Ridge Lemon Honey Crème to a cup of piping hot turmeric tea, thanks to my good friends at Honey Ridge Farms. They often send me the gifts of good health in these large jars of artisan honey. I enjoyed a dollop of lemon honey crème in this cup of amber-colored tea which my son, Constante boiled for me, made from organic turmeric powder which we got from a health food store. The earthy, herbal tea was made sweeter with the citrusy-honey crème. The hot brew slithered down my achy throat and soothed my raspy, hoarse voice. I felt better after a few sips.

This is what makes the holiday season special. It’s the warm caring of family and friends through an outpouring of get-well wishes, helpful advice and a good cup of turmeric tea to make one feel alright. Honestly, it all felt like a warm, comforting hug. Just what one needs to feel okay and bounce back to good health again.

Print Recipe

Turmeric Tea with Honey

Turmeric Tea with Honey can be made from natural turmeric roots (they look like longer ginger roots) or else from organic turmeric powder which is dark yellow in color. The latter can be found in organic health food stores. The natural healing benefits of turmeric have been proven by nutritionists and health experts. This Asian in America recipe post by Elizabeth Ann Quirino was inspired by Dr. Andrew Weil MD. Makes 4 cups.

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time10 minutes mins

Course: Beverages, Breakfast, Drinks, Merienda

Cuisine: American, Asian, Filipino

Keyword: Turmeric Tea Honey

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 1kcal

Author: Asian in America - Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Equipment

• Kettle for boiling water

Ingredients

• 4 cups water for boiling
• 1 teaspoon organic ground turmeric powder Or if using natural tumeric root, a one-inch piece, peeled, sliced
• 1 to 2 teaspoons honey I used Honey Ridge Farms Lemon Honey Creme
• 1 whole lemon for its juice
• 1 knob (about 1 inch) fresh ginger peeled, sliced in thin pieces, (optional, for additional flavor to tea) also known as fresh ginger root
• 1 whole fresh lemon, orange or calamansi sliced, for garnish

Instructions

• Boil four cups of water over high heat.Add one teaspoon of ground turmeric powder to the boiling water and cover.

  As the turmeric mixture boils, lower heat to a simmer.

  Continue simmering, covered for about ten minutes.

  Pass the turmeric water mixture through a fine sieve, while pouring into a cup.

  Add a heaping teaspoon of honey (I used Honey Ridge Farms’ Lemon Honey Crème). Mix well and enjoy while piping hot.

  Garnish with slices of lemon, oranges or calamansi (the Filipino lime).

  Cook’s comments: How to make a natural brew using the turmeric roots – add a one-inch sized slice of natural turmeric in two cups of water and boil. Then simmer for about ten minutes

  .Recipe variations: For a special zing, add a slice of fresh ginger root (peeled, about one-inch piece) to the simmering turmeric tea. Steep the tea for a few minutes and enjoy piping hot.Ingredients to add: my son suggested adding  2 to 3 tablespoons of coconut milk or almond milk to the turmeric tea for a thicker drink if desired. Sweeten with honey and serve while piping-hot.

  Disclosure: Honey Ridge Farms sent me these jars of artisan gourmet honey as gifts. I was not paid to mention or endorse the product. But I highly recommend them for those who prefer authentic, artisan honey products made in America. For more information or to purchase follow Honey Ridge Farms on Facebook or Twitter or check out www.honeyridgefarms.com 

  COPYRIGHT NOTICE: 

  Hello, Friends! All the images and content on this blog are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED and owned by my media company Besa-Quirino LLC. This means BY LAW you are NOT allowed to copy, scrape, lift, frame, plagiarize or use my photos and  recipe content I wrote, on your website  without my permission. If you want to republish this recipe or content on another website or news article, please ASK my permission, re-write it in your own words and simply link back to this blog to give proper attribution. It’s the legal thing to do. Thank you. Email me at [email protected]

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 1kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 25mg | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 15mg

Notes on Nutrition: The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.

Did you like this recipe? I have more Filipino Instant Pot recipes in my newest cookbook Instant Filipino Recipes: My Mother’s Traditional Philippine Cooking in A Multicooker Pot by Elizabeth Ann Besa-Quirino. Buy my cookbooks and books on Amazon.com sold worldwide in paperback and Kindle format.

Copyright Notice: Hello, Friends! Please DO NOT LIFT OR PLAGIARIZE my original recipe, stories, photos or videos. All the images and content on this blog are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED and owned by my media company Besa-Quirino LLC. This means BY LAW you are NOT allowed to copy, scrape, lift, frame, plagiarize or use my photos, essays, stories and recipe content on your websites, books, films, television shows, videos, without my permission. If you wish to republish this recipe or content on media outlets mentioned above, please ASK MY PERMISSION, or re-write it in your own words and link back to my blog AsianInAmericaMag.com to give proper attribution. It is the legal thing to do. Thank you. Email me at [email protected]

Disclosure: Instant Pot is the brand name of a multi-cooker that cooks in high and low pressure. I was not paid by the Instant Pot company to mention the product or brand nor endorse it. This is not an ad. My views and opinions are my own.