I recently read about the Indonesian health tonic called Jamu... a blend of ginger, turmeric, and honey with myriad health benefits. So I started playing with the recipe, and I've created this spinoff which will likely be my go-to summer beverage!
The benefits of Jamu are many-with fresh ginger and turmeric, it's good for inflammation, stomach aches, priming digestion, and is tasty and invigorating. But I wanted to maximize the benefits of the turmeric, so I played around and added a little fat, and black pepper, to maximize absorption. You can't taste the pepper, don't worry!
The way I've made the recipe, the beverage is a concentrate. You could take an ounce of it as a shot, or dilute it with seltzer for a light beverage. My favorite right now is to add an ounce of the jamu to coconut water for an awesome hydrating, refreshing post-workout beverage (I haven't yet added collagen peptides, but wondering if a little extra MCT oil and collagen, blended together, wouldn't be a great post-workout treat!)
This recipe can be easily doubled, and should store nicely in the fridge. Let me know what you think, and how you use it!
Laren's Summer Elixir (Jamu-esque)
Ingredients:
1 knob of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped up (about the size of your thumb and thumbpad)
1 knob of fresh turmeric (it is worth getting fresh-check out a local asian grocery if your supermarket doesn't carry it), peeled and chopped up
2 cups water
1-3 tablespoons local honey
1 tbsp of a neutral, good fat: I like MCT oil or flaxseed oil
a squeeze of fresh lime juice, if desired
How to:
Add the ginger, turmeric, and 2 cups water to a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour the puree into a saucepan, and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Let cool a little. Then strain the contents through a sieve, cheesecloth, or mesh colander into a heat-proof container.
While still warm, stir in the honey (you don't want to boil the honey and diminish the antimicrobial properties!) to taste. I found 1 tbsp to be sufficient, but if you want sweeter, add more. Add the MCT oil/flaxseed oil, and a squeeze of lime juice if you like.
Store in the fridge. Drink an ounce as is, or dilute with seltzer or coconut water. Enjoy!
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