Move over quinoa, chia, goji, and hemp; there’s a new food trend in town. It’s the turmeric latte and it’s vying for a place at your breakfast table.

If you’re looking to kick your caffeine habit, a turmeric latte just might be the solution. Turmeric lattes (also known as golden milk or mylk if you’re an uber-hippie) is the wellness trend du jour.

If Gwyneth Paltrow’s doing it, it must be a thing.

Despite being an ancient spice, turmeric recently surfaced as a “breakout star” of 2016 by Google Food Trends. For thousands of years, the South Asian plant was used as a medicinal ingredient in cultural dishes and religious ceremonies. But now that the antique has become chic, there’s been a surge towards natural ingredients and plant-based products.  Turmeric, like many Indian spices, has proven itself to have super healing powers due to its ability to aid digestion, plus being packed with antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and even anti-cancer properties.  Is turmeric just another stupid wellness trend?  According to the Huffington Post UK, the answer is a resounding NO.

Hipster cafes from Sydney to San Francisco are riding the turmeric wave, but the style has yet to catch on in a significant way with Canadian baristas – you won’t be able to find this stuff at Tim Hortons, not yet at least. You’re in luck if you live in Toronto, where you can try a turmeric latte at Thrive Organic Kitchen on Lakeshore West.

The good news is that they’re easy to make at home – and they taste better than you’d think. Simply combine ginger, coconut sugar, coconut oil, and turmeric in a blender. Once the ingredients are thoroughly blended, pour a hot nut milk of your choice (almond, cashew, etc.) in the blender and give it one last blitz until smooth and frothy. If you’re DIY-challenged, you can follow this easy recipe from Nutrition Stripped.  For a summer-friendly iced version, Bourbon and Honey‘s recipe is a winner.

If extricating yourself from your caffeine habit proves difficult, you can add a shot of espresso – we’ll look away for a few seconds – to make what’s called a “dirty golden.”

Because we can’t be virtuous all the time, can we?

Photo: Nutrition Stripped