Tonics made with spices like turmeric and black pepper and ginger are delicious if cinnamon is added. Cinnamon is a sweeter warming flavor and one that’s so familiar in either tea or milk (mylk for vegans!). In winter season’s cold and often gray days, I’m always looking for new recipes, new ways to capture brilliant color and mouth-watering taste in a smoothie or a plate of vegetables.
Now is the best time of year to explore heat in food—and arrive at warming, or hot! spices. And chais, or spiced hot drinks and infusions are natural places to begin.
Here’s how a chai tonic is created: I made it with the help of a recipe from the book Tonic. De Ruijt calls it “The sassiest cup of builder’s brew,” p.73 and it’s made from two black peppercorns, two green cardamom pods, one clove (I used three!), 1/2 cinnamon stick, black tea, slices of fresh ginger and turmeric, equal parts water and any milk (dairy or non-) to total one cup. It’s a recipe for one serving, so the amounts are small, and you could double or triple, etc. for several cups of your chosen brew.
First, pan-roast the dried spices (cinnamon, cloves, black peppercorns, cardamom pods) until lightly fragrant and remove to a blender, spice grinder or mortar and pestle to grind down and release their flavors. Place into a heavy-bottom pan. Chop the fresh ginger and turmeric and add to a blender with a bit of water to blend and form a paste. Add to the pan.
Stir in water and milk and incorporate the spices with the liquids. Turn on the heat to med-high. Allow the paste-roasted spices and liquids to come to the boil and rise in the pan. Make sure they don’t boil over! Turn the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Take the pan off the stove and strain the contents into a serving cup. Voila! Taste and savor it! The chai tonic will take you from cold, tired, or sick to feeling fantastic in no time!
Tonic: Delicious and Natural Remedies to Boost Your Health. / Tanita de Ruijt, 2017. Hardie Grant Books UK. 158 pages, illustrations in color.
I loved Tonic and its simple directions for accessing the health benefits of herbs and spices in drinks. Author de Ruijt offers recipes for five different conditions, as well as advice on which tools and equipment will make the job easiest. (Hint: there aren’t many kitchen appliances needed—i.e. you can do it with what you have on hand now!)
De Ruijt gives a primer on the ingredients you’ll be using. So if you don’t know them well, you can easily become acquainted with “the 3 gingers”, and herbs like lemongrass, sage and basil, or spices like clove, cardamom and nutmeg. Plus more in each category, and why they are chosen to enhance libations called tonics.
What’s attractive to me about Tonic is that most of the ideal healthful and warm winter drinks we want are offered by de Ruijt. She’s got tonics (healthful drinks) for you to assuage many winter blues. Whether you’re experiencing stress, low energy, a hangover, poor digestion, or a cold or the flu: whatever ails you, in this season, you’ll be covered with a recipe from Tonic.
And these recipes are easy to manage. Techniques are simple—like pan-roasting and then grinding spices in a blender or mortar and pestle, boiling liquids (water or any milk), straining the result into a mug or glass. If you want to learn how to infuse vinegar or vodka with herbs and spices to make what’s known as tinctures or shrubs, de Ruijt’s directions are at the ready. You can become an herbal barista in no time!
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