579 Shares

Immune support is obviously a hot topic right now. I've been talking about it for awhile but there seems to be something new each day. And most times, it's actually something old that we're just haven't been talking about. That's how this sparkling turmeric gingerade came about. My dad works in healthcare and has recently turned up his immune support routine to include more supplements and daily helpings of an old family tea that my sisters make for him. I sent a video of him doing part of his immunity regimen to my cousins and was surprised to find that my uncle in Nigeria makes the same tea. This shouldn't have been a surprise since they're brothers but still.

Us cousins got to chatting and I learned that the tea is an old family recipe from our great grandfather and his work as a native doctor. Here are the ingredients that make up this tea, most of which made it into my sparkling turmeric gingerade, which is really a kind of healthy homemade soda, or immunity tonic, depending on how you look at it.

Immune Boosting Tea Ingredients

Cloves
Garlic
Ginger
Honey
Lemon
Turmeric
Water

Like I said, old stuff that we maybe don't get enough of these days. Our dads combine everything but the water to make a kind of paste and take it with hot water as a tea. I make them into a syrup but just could not bring myself to include the garlic. I love garlic in savory dishes but the smell of it in this tea is STRONG and you can quickly become nose blind to it. Being on the frontlines at a hospital, my dad needs all the immune support he can get. But I've been staying home most of the time and don't currently see the need to smell like a straight up garlic clove!

I'm currently making jars of this syrup for my dad to keep on hand for his tea since my little sisters (aka his helpers) will soon be moving away from home for school. You'll see this combination of ingredients in immunity boosting teas from a variety of cooks on the internet--many of them Nigerian--and each one puts a different twist on it. My twist is to sometimes make it into a soda. You know I'm all about natural remedies like this easy tea and immune boosting foods like this sweet smoothie so my sparkling turmeric gingerade is in great company.

To go from syrup to healthy detox soda is extremely simple. Just add a couple of spoonfuls of the syrup to club soda or sparkling water over ice and stir. And now you have sparkling turmeric gingerade! I like to add a sprig of mint to mine for a little flourish and extra flavor. Not that this detox soda is lacking in flavor. You can make it by the glass or do a pitcher for the whole family. Personally, I kicked store-bought soda to the curb back in high school so this is a nice treat that I don't feel at all bad about drinking.

Notes for this Sparkling Turmeric Gingerade

Be careful when working with turmeric as it WILL stain everything, including your fingers/nails, knife, etc. Clean with warm vinegar to help remove the stains.
Powdered turmeric can work if fresh is not available. Use one third the amount.
To make this into a tea instead, add two tablespoons of syrup to eight ounces of hot water.
Refrigerate any extra syrup in a sealed bottle or jar.

I encourage you to try out this sparkling turmeric gingerade as soon as possible. And if you prefer, enjoy it as a tea. You really can't miss either way and you'll have options for year round, in both warm and cool weather! Sharing is caring so be sure to pin this recipe on Pinterest. And let me know if you have any questions below. Thanks for reading!

More healthy sips you must try:

Immunity Tonic Recipe