There is a certain comfort in wrapping both hands around a warm cup on a cold morning. As the season turns, we find ourselves reaching less for the cold smoothie and more for something gentle and warming, and our superfoods are just as happy in a mug.
A warming ritual need not be complicated. A good powder, warm milk of your choice, a moment to yourself. Here are three we return to all winter long, each built around a single organic ingredient and ready in minutes.
Ritual one: the golden ginger latte
Bright, gently spiced and full of warmth, this is the cup we reach for first thing. Our organic ginger stirs beautifully into a frothy morning latte, a lovely way to greet a cold Franschhoek morning.
You will need: 1 mug of milk of your choice (oat works beautifully), half a teaspoon of van Mel & Co. organic ginger, a pinch of cinnamon, and honey or maple to taste.
Method: warm the milk gently on the stove. Whisk in the ginger and cinnamon until smooth and frothy, then sweeten to taste. Pour, wrap your hands around the mug, and take your time.
Ritual two: the earthy chaga coffee
For those who love their morning coffee, this is a simple way to make it a little more interesting. Our organic chaga folds into coffee or cocoa with a deep, earthy note that suits the cold months perfectly.
You will need: 1 cup of freshly brewed coffee, half a teaspoon of van Mel & Co. organic chaga, a splash of warm milk of your choice, and a little honey if you like.
Method: stir the chaga into your hot coffee until fully dissolved. Add a splash of warm milk, sweeten if you wish, and enjoy the deeper, earthier cup it becomes.
Ritual three: a quiet evening cup
The evening deserves a ritual of its own. Our organic reishi stirs into warm milk with a spoon of cocoa for a rich, grounding cup, the loveliest way to close a cold winter’s day.
You will need: 1 mug of milk of your choice, half a teaspoon of van Mel & Co. organic reishi, 1 teaspoon of cocoa or cacao, and honey or maple to taste.
Method: warm the milk gently, then whisk in the reishi and cocoa until smooth. Sweeten to taste, dim the lights, and let the day wind down.
Make it your own
The beauty of a ritual is that it bends to suit you. Swap in oat or almond milk, sweeten with honey or leave it out, add a pinch of cinnamon or a grating of nutmeg. Keep it simple and keep it yours. A warm cup, made with care, is one of winter’s small and reliable pleasures.
Our organic ginger, chaga and reishi are all part of a wider range of natural, sustainable and organic ingredients, sourced with care and delivered to your door. Shop the range at vanmelandco.co.za.