Turmeric: the wonder food that should be every Hongkonger’s cup of tea

Turmeric is popularly used to give curry a yellow hue, but in one restaurant in Hong Kong, the spice is being added to lattes – and consumers have reportedly been lapping it up.

Peggy Chan, executive chef and managing director of Grassroots Pantry, says her restaurant on Hollywood Road sold an average of more than 50 turmeric chai lattes a day last winter. The popularity of the drink, she says, is related to an increasing awareness among people of what turmeric does for our health. The spice is one of the foods to watch out for in 2016, according to market research firm Mintel.

Around the world, in cafes from Sydney to San Francisco, the turmeric latte (also called “golden milk”) has been trending this year. The anti-inflammatory concoction of juiced turmeric root and coconut, almond or cashew milk is being touted as a healthy alternative to caffeine drinks.

Says Chan: “The popularity [of turmeric] only shows when we as chefs and proprietors are able to source and formulate a recipe that is delicious and accessible. Our turmeric chai latte recipe is coupled with black pepper (which helps strengthen the effects of the spice), cinnamon and fresh ginger juice, and only slightly sweetened with low-glycaemic coconut sugar and coconut milk.”

Google’s latest Food Trends Report has found that searches for turmeric have increased by 300 per cent over the last five years.