We have previously written about Latvia and their deep herbal knowledge. It is a kind of everyday knowledge. There are always herbs at hand. For example, when you go to a café or restaurant, there is always a hot, herbal drink as an alternative. It is delicious, warming and grounding for the body and mind. I always miss these healthier alternatives when I go out back home in Sweden.
In the hot drinks in Latvia they like to mix berries, herbs and honey. This recipe is based on black currants, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. If you want alcohol in it, add a splash of Balsams , i.e. the spicy Latvian herbal liqueur. It can be difficult to get hold of in Sweden and perhaps port wine could be an alternative.
Ingredients:
100 g blackcurrants (frozen) or 1 L blackcurrant drink
1 orange
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
1 piece of ginger (2-3 cm)
4 tablespoons honey
1 L water (if you haven't chosen blackcurrant juice)
How?
Slice the orange. Place the orange slices, cinnamon stick, ginger and cloves in a saucepan and pour in one litre of water. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Add the blackcurrants and blend all the ingredients with a blender. Strain and add the honey to the hot liquid. Pour into nice cups. Decorate with a slice of orange, 1 cinnamon stick or similar.
Try drinking more hot drinks with your meals! You can find more recipes on our blog.
