Will be going back to Japan for a very short time to celebrate my mother’s birthday …she’s been feeling rather low having lost her dear one and only sister (my lovely auntie…) 3 months ago so … need to cheer her up or at the very least spend time with her. currently putting together gifts to bring there to all the people we owe thanks to … and then, making a list of what I may want to bring back from there …. ah… this might be one. Yes, I realize Tumeric is available here too but it’s a bit different… in fine degrees of refinement since it’s tea country there or actually, it’s a “water” country, there. Japan is all about the element of … water. It’s surrounded by water and it’s veins are rivers of water covering all over the islands. It’s lush; my mother country is almost like a … womb to me. Going home. To a place of juxtaposition where the East meets West, the modern with the classics; the random with the neat organized and the orderly; the rude and the wild with the very polite and imploring. Yet all steeped in aged old tradition. It’s grounded there like Mt. Fuji; Centered like Tokyo Tower glowing red at night amidst the inebriated, young and old.
“Spring season tea”
Did you know that tiny Island of Okinawa, Japan, boasts one of highest longevity rate in the world? The island belongs to what’s known as “Blue Zones” as explained in THIS article.
Dr. Weil noted in addition to copious amount of pork consumption and sake, the island’s signature tea is made from “Ukon” or turmeric.
Okinawans drink copious quantities of turmeric tea. Some brew it fresh, but others simply buy cans or powdered instant versions of unsweetened tea from their local stores.
This is “Autumn season tea”
If you would like to try it,
Here’s a recipe you can play around with. You can experiment with the ingredients and flavorings to your liking:
Bring three cups of water to a boil.
Add one teaspoon of ground turmeric and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
Strain the tea through a fine sieve into a cup, add honey and/or lemon to taste.
I add a teaspoon of ginger along with the turmeric. Sometimes, I mix with roasted green tea and submerge, salted plum.
Of course the ground versions are more convenient, if you could get freshly grated turmeric from fresh roots, that would be even better.
I have yet to see one but perhaps I need to check out either health foods store or Asian grocery stores to locate them.
I have also heard of Golden Milk which is essentially replacing Cooca or Cacao powder with Turmeric powder and whisking that into milk for a golden creamy brew.
If there’s time, froth in blender or whip like a latte and sweeten with HONEY:) It’s golden:)
It’s rather interesting to find out that there are different kinds of turmeric, learned some 50 kinds worldwide. To see some types, this website that sells Okinawa Turmeric is quite educational. If you need it translate it, no problem.
