If you can’t tell, I’m desperately holding on to the remnants of summer.

On one hand I’m excited for the hot chocolate and pot pies, but on the other hand, I’m reluctant to let go of the fruity drinks and endless fields of flowers. Frankly, there isn’t that big of a difference between winter and summer in Zimbabwe. The mornings and evenings get much colder and the rains stop, but besides that it’s still blazing hot in the daytime. Sure, the lack of rain means that anything green or colourful dries up and dies but it’s otherwise all the same to us. My wardrobe doesn’t change and neither do my activities, but just so that we can feel that we are in a different season, our eating habits change and we light up the fireplace. There’s no place like home.

Anyways, we have this drink that tastes luscious but is also incredibly good for your health. It’s filled with all the antioxidants and the good stuff, here’s a quick breakdown:

• Turmeric: is mega loaded with vitamins and minerals including Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, potassium, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and zinc. Has also been proven to reduce acne (Lord knows I need it), have anti-inflammatory properties and improves digestion
• Ginger: has been proven to reduce muscle soreness, reduce your risk of stroke and cardiovascular related diseases as well as boosting your immunity to everything from bacterial infections to cancer!
• Cardamom: helps with heartburn, constipation as well as reducing blood pressure
• Cinnamon: prevents tooth decay and gum disease, controls blood sugar levels, can assist in weight loss and surprisingly also works as a headache relief!

These are just a few of the wondrous properties to be gained from ingesting these spices, I encourage you to reap the benefits by preparing a batch of this today!

Golden Chai-Spiced Pineapple Cooler

Ingredients

• 1× 14 oz tin pineapple chunks
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 green cardamom pods
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• a whole thumb sized piece of ginger
• 4 cups water
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• ½ cup coconut water

Method

Add the pineapple, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, black peppercorns and ginger to a large saucepan and cover with the water. Bring to a boil then simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes. Dissolve the turmeric in the infused water. Strain the liquid into a glass jar and refrigerate for an hour. Discard the cinnamon, cardamom, black peppercorns and ginger. In a food processor, blend together the spiced pineapples and coconut water until you have a thick smoothie. Refrigerate for an hour.

When both mixtures are cold, pour the pureed pineapples into the chai water and stir until fully dissolved. The solution will turn a beautiful golden colour! Serve over ice cubes, and toast to summer!