The turmeric craze started a few years ago. It would cure you of every thinkable ailment, or so it seemed. And it was also supposed to taste like heaven. In other words: pure gold.
We know about turmeric in the Netherlands because we use it to make Indonesian dishes – a remnant of our colonial past there. When turmeric was almost literally pure gold for the merchants exploiting the Indonesian islands. Which is something to regret, and apologise for, and learn about and from. And then there is the legacy of the Indonesian ‘rice table’ – a festive meal consisting of a wide variety of Indonesian dishes. It was concocted for the Dutch colonists of course, because it is lavish to the point of extravagance. But at least everybody these days loves it – including the Dutch people of Indonesian descent.
We call turmeric by other names though: kurkuma, koenjit, geelwortelpoeder (yellow root powder). Until a few years ago I had never even considered putting it in hot water – or milk to make ‘golden milk’. When the craze started I thought I’d try it out though. Not a big success, I didn’t like it at all. I gave the pot of ‘golden milk’ mixture away and never looked at turmeric again except to make ajam kuning or rendang. Besides, it turns out that the therapeutic/medicinal effects of turmeric were never proven.
Turmeric gold
All that will not stop me from trying this tea though! I made a cup at the end of a rather stressful afternoon, just before dinner, when I could use a bit of a pick-me-up. And… I liked it! Its spicy quality sets it apart from other teas and makes it somehow a little more ‘mature’ to drink in the afternoon. I don’t think I would like it in the morning, really. The colour was a lovely gold, of course.
PS I got this mug when I was in Austin, Texas, where the University of Texas (UT) is based – hence the logo. I have another mug from there. I will share it later (private little snigger).
Tea with a Ninja 
I like the sound of that rice table 🙂 I had turmeric milk recommended by a cancer nutritionist a few years ago – her theory being it might have those anti-inflammatory properties claimed, and would do no harm anyway. I did manage to get to a recipe that I thought was okay, but really it just involved drowning out the turmeric o.O
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Uh… that’s weird. I can recommend the Indonesian dishes. They’re the best Dutch food available! 😀
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I have not tried turmeric milk, but I might like the tea. I gave turmeric capsules a shot at the urging of my FIL, who swears by them for his arthritis — and much to my surprise, they actually seem to help. I’d be more impressed if my pain were up there with someone like my dad, but I was expecting no improvement, so there’s that. I do, however, burp turmeric for a while after taking them, because a dose is three capsules. Perhaps the tea would be better.
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Maybe. Apparently there is no scientific evidence for the medical benefits.
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I tend to err on the side of science, but I’ve also dealt with health issues that aren’t high on researchers’ to-do lists, so in moments of desperation I’ve had to draw my own conclusions about some things. Taking daily pain relievers is not an option for me, so I gave the turmeric a shot. I don’t know why it would work, but it seems to help. Maybe someday I’ll understand why, but if not…well, at least I don’t have to wear cushy shoes to walk across a tile floor.
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True. Some home remedies work anyway 🤷♀️
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