Easy Turmeric Tea Recipe (with Fresh Turmeric)

Growing up, my mom always made turmeric tea like this for us whenever we had the flu. It was just something Indian parents and grandparents did ever so often. And they’d always tell you it was good for just about everything, especially for thinning the blood.

My mother-in-law would do the same too. Every time, we had a bad cough, she would whip up a super strong turmeric tea and we’d stop coughing almost immediately!

This recipe is not as strong as hers. It is much milder and gentler since turmeric is best when used in moderation. I’ll explain more later.

Oh and if you enjoy herbal teas like this, check out my ginger tea and lemongrass tea recipes. And, for more turmeric drinks, check out these turmeric wellness shots.

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Ingredients for turmeric tea

Equipment

No special equipment is needed for this recipe though I used a zester to grate the turmeric. Food grade gloves can also be helpful to prevent your hands from staining.

How to make fresh turmeric tea

Prepping the turmeric

I usually start by washing and peeling the turmeric. Be warned, touching turmeric will stain your hands and surfaces yellow. As I mentioned before, food grade gloves are great and you can protect your countertops by using stain-resistant, hard surfaces. Plastics usually stay stained but glass, metal, and ceramics won’t stay stained if you wash them immediately with soap and water.

For the recipe, I started with a 15 gram turmeric rhizome that measured about 2 inches in length and 1 inch in diameter. Once it was peeled, it weighed about 8 grams.

I usually grate the turmeric after it is peeled with a zester. It’s what my mom did and I think it speeds up the brewing process.

Here’s a look at all the prepped ingredients.

Brew

To a small saucepan on medium heat, add the water and leave to boil. Once boiling, toss in the grated turmeric and leave to brew for 5 minutes. The color change is almost immediate and goes from yellow to a vibrant amber orange color.

Remove from the heat after the brewing time and allow to steep for a couple minutes. I usually strain the tea before serving but you don’t have to.

Serve

Mix in the honey at this point if you desire sweetness and sprinkle some black pepper on the tea. Serve warm for a soothing, comforting tea. It can also be served cold or over ice if you prefer. You can store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and enjoy.

Turmeric tea benefits

When I started researching turmeric tea, I was really surprised to see few clinical trials on drinking the tea. There is so much research on turmeric itself and the main compound in turmeric, curcumin but there isn’t much on the tea.

I also couldn’t find how much of curcumin ends up in the tea after brewing. So, from here, I am going to assume curcumin is present in the tea.

There are extensive studies that demonstrate curcumin is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and pain relieving. It is believed to be useful in wound healing, neurodegenerative disorders, liver damage and diabetes.

But, curcumin doesn’t get absorbed easily in our bodies. It’s a fat soluble compound so having milk (including plant based milk) with your tea can be helpful with its absorption. Another thing that could help? Black pepper – or more specifically, its main compound, piperine – has been shown to improve bioavailability of curcumin by 2000% (here’s the source study).

A recent study also found having curcumin daily was linked to lower fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, body mass index, body weight and insulin resistance. That’s pretty great!

But, turmeric should be enjoyed in moderation as too much can cause nausea, diarrhea and upset stomach. It’s also believed to be a blood thinner so always talk to your doctor before frequent use of the tea.

More healthy recipes

Fresh turmeric tea recipe