Golden milk, ginger tea can counter stress

Hear that? It’s the sound of a hundred corks popping — followed, maybe, by the faint whimper of overtaxed livers, or just overworked bar staff.

For the indulgent days of our lives, golden milk (or turmeric lattes) can be especially restorative. With roots that stretch back to ancient India (there, it is called haldi doodh) the creamy, daffodil-hued drink gets a kick from black pepper, ginger, cardamom and other warming spices, usually steeped in some kind of milk.

“It’s a recipe that’s been around for a really long time,” says Courtney Lee Hall, a certified herbalist whose company, Plants and Poetry, is based on New York’s Long Island. While turmeric is cited in some studies as an anti-inflammatory, the other spices give its key compound, curcumin, a strong assist. “It’s important that black pepper is added with turmeric root, as they have this synergistic relationship which helps the curcumin to be effective,” Hall said.

While Hall thinks golden milk can certainly do a body good, she has higher praise for another seasonappropriate drink: Gingerlemon tea with thyme. “Thyme is so underrated,” Hall said, adding, “It has incredible antiseptic properties and is supercleansing and uplifting for body.”

To make the tea, Hall suggests peeling and slicing a tablespoon-size knob of ginger for every cup of water; bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for 20 minutes — a process called decoction.

“I add thyme for the last five minutes, and a squeeze of lemon,” Hall said, who uses a roughly 50-50 ratio of ginger to thyme and often makes four to six cups at a time. “It’s so easy to make, and delicious.”

If you want to try golden milk, “The Turmeric Cookbook,” released this fall (Aster, $12.99) offers a simple recipe with almond or coconut milk as a base.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.