Cinnamon & Turmeric Tea
Brew it in hot milk rather than water for the golden latte this blend is built around. Three to five minutes, then a pinch of black pepper and honey to finish. In water it is lighter and still good over ice. No caffeine, so it suits the evening.
- What it is
- Alba Ceylon cinnamon with turmeric root
- Caffeine
- None
- Water
- 212°F / 100°C, or hot milk
- Steep
- 3 to 5 minutes
- Pack
- 40 pyramid bags
- Makes
- 40 cups
What is actually in the bag
Alba grade Ceylon cinnamon and turmeric root, both from the Kandy district. No tea leaf and no caffeine.
Cinnamon and turmeric together, usually in milk, is the drink most people know as golden milk. It has a long history across South Asia, and the version in a tea bag is a shortcut to something that otherwise means grating root and straining.
Brew it in milk
Water works. Milk is better, and it is what the blend was put together for.
- Heat milk to just below a simmer. Dairy, almond, oat or coconut all work, and coconut is the closest to the traditional version.
- One bag per cup.
- Three to five minutes, stirring once or twice.
- A pinch of black pepper and honey to finish.
The black pepper is not a garnish. Pepper and turmeric is a long-standing pairing in South Asian cooking, and the small amount of heat gives the earthiness of the turmeric something to push against. Without it the cup can read flat.
In water
Lighter, clearer, and a different drink rather than a worse one. Three to five minutes, golden amber in the cup, and it takes lemon well, which milk does not.
It is also the version that works iced. Brew it strong in hot water, cool it, pour over ice and add a squeeze of lemon.
What it goes with
Honey or agave against the earthiness. Lemon or a slice of orange for lift. A cinnamon stick in the cup if you want more spice than the bag gives.
For food: gingerbread, dark chocolate, roasted nuts, spiced chickpeas. Apple, banana and mango all work beside it.
A note on turmeric and fabric
Turmeric stains, permanently and quickly. Do not wring the bag out over a white worktop, and rinse the mug fairly soon after. Nothing has gone wrong, that is just what turmeric does.
Where it sits against the others
The other caffeine-free blends are the pure cinnamon bags, which are sharper and cleaner, and the cinnamon and ginger, which is peppery rather than earthy. This is the creamy one, and the only one of the six that genuinely prefers milk to water.