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Today at Summum we have set ourselves a challenge: to show that there is life beyond tea and coffee and that there are many equally attractive options to drink throughout the day. They can be taken at home or outside, they are supernaturales yalmost all caffeine free and, most importantly, they come with hints and tips on how and where to enjoy them.
Golden milk, tasty and healthy
It is, without a doubt, the fashionable drink. Native to India, Golden milk or golden milk is a mixture of milk (whole or vegetable) and turmeric, as well as a myriad of ingredients that can be added to suit everyone’s taste. It is usually drunk hot, with a teaspoon ghee (clarified butter) and honey to sweeten. In addition to being delicious, it is also beneficial for health, since turmeric is an antioxidant and natural anti-inflammatory and is rich in vitamin C, B3, iron, zinc, selenium and manganese.
According to Ayurveda, turmeric also has the power to rebalance the dosha, which determine all biological and psychological functions of the mind and body. We can drink it with almond milk and spices in all Federal Café locations in Madrid, Barcelona, Girona and Valencia. It can also be drunk cold, with lots of ice, as in the American Tea Bar cafes.
Superbartidos: with kefir and red berries
From one superfood to another. Kefir is a fermented milk drink, similar but not the same as yogurt. The difference is that, in the process of making Kefir, a live fermented product is added to the milk, the Kefir nodules or granules, which contain casein, yeasts and bacteria. The latter are responsible for two types of fermentation, the alcoholic –something that gives this product a certain effervescence– and the dairy.
Kefir is a good alternative to milk to make fruit smoothies. It provides acidity, acts positively in the balance of the intestinal flora and the reinforcement of the immune defenses and contains vitamins A, C and group B, iron, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus among other things. If we mix it with red fruits, rich in antioxidants, we will obtain a luxurious super smoothie. If we want them ready, the company from León Yaranza produces cow’s milk kefir with strawberry or blueberry.
Liquid vegetables: green smoothies
It is not the first time that we talk about ANDI, a parameter that measures the nutrient density of a food on a scale of 1 to 1.000. The ANDI refers to how many nutrients a certain food contains per gram. Green leafy vegetables are the foods that top the list of vegetables and fruits with the most Highest ANDI, being extremely rich in micronutrients, phytochemicals, chlorophyll and antioxidants. The fastest way to get all the nutritional richness of vegetables is a salad and, of course, a smoothie or juice. RawCoco Green Bar, with locations in Madrid and Gijón, boasts an interesting menu of fruit and vegetable juices such as Clean Green with apple, carrot, spinach, lemon and cucumber or the Waimanalo with pineapple, lemon, apple, cucumber and two superfoods like chlorella seaweed and kale.
Horchata, superfood by surprise
La chufa, the main ingredient of horchata, is a tiny tuber native to North Africa that It was cultivated since ancient Egypt. It is especially rich in iron, in addition to other minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and calcium. It also contains vitamins, unsaturated fats, and protein. Finally, starch and amino acids are responsible for the horchata being, in addition to refreshing and restorative, a drink with high digestive properties.
Not only does it have no cholesterol, but it helps reduce it, as tiger nuts boast a number of oleic acid close to that of olive oil. An authentic superfood that unexpectedly turns horchata into a healthy, fashionable and also luxurious drink, since only the best tigernuts are selected for its preparation. It is usually prepared with water and sugar and served cold. In Santa Catalina, one of the Valencian temples of horchata, it is also prepared in granita and cream.
Gourmet edition water
The water is the healthiest drink there is and the best option, above all the others, if we want to take care of ourselves, hydrate ourselves, refresh ourselves and a long etcetera. If it seems like a too discounted choice, you should know that the market of gourmet mineral waters It is practically inexhaustible and offers very exclusive and original alternatives.
This is the case of Agua Nº 9, a water with the name and glamor of a perfume that comes from a glacier in the Polish region of Warmia-Mazuria. A very pure artesian water, which boasts a beautiful customizable container and which can already be purchased in various parts of the peninsula.
A sip of pure cocoa
Is maybe the most obvious alternative (And, unlike the others, caffeine!) to tea and coffee.
Cocoa is another superfood, as it is rich in minerals, especially iron -28 gr of cocoa provide 315% of the recommended dose of iron-, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium. On the other hand, it contains hardly any sodium and boasts one of the highest antioxidant concentrations on the planet, higher than that found in red wine or tea.
The perfect excuse to consume pure cocoa, with milk and a little sugar, more often. It has not yet opened its doors, but everything indicates that the new mecca for cocoa and chocolate lovers will be Cocoa House, the new project led by Jordi Roca. It is a “bean to bar” workshop, a shop, a chocolate shop and a luxury boutique hotel that will occupy a historic building of Girona. The opening of the store, because the hotel will have to wait a little longer, is scheduled for the beginning of next year.
Passion red: Jamaica water
Tea from Egypt, Karkadé or Jamaican Water. These are the names given to an extraordinary exotic drink originating in Africa: the infusion of red hibiscus flower or Jamaica.
It can be drunk both hot and cold and has a very intense flavor, somewhat sour (A touch of vanilla is recommended to soften it). It is prepared as a normal infusion, allowing the dried hibiscus flowers to release all their color, aroma and flavor in the water. Jamaica Water is attributed a relaxing, diuretic and digestive effect.
As in India: the lassi
Lassi is a drink originally from India a base yogurt and the most varied fruits and spices. In other words, a super cocktail where the virtues of fermented foods are added to the nutrients and antioxidant properties of fresh fruit and spices.
Lassi softens spicy food and facilitates digestion. The menu of the Indian restaurant Benares, in Madrid, is proof of the enormous versatility of this drink. There is Mango, the most popular, with fresh ginger, beet and carrot, banana and cumin, and salt and spices with coriander, mint, cumin and black pepper. All without alcohol. What more could you want?
Frappé, shake in frozen version
It is a variant of the shake, only that instead of milk it has ice cream or, in addition to milk, crushed ice. One of the most original of the moment is the one they serve in Panda Pastry, the first Japanese pastry shop in the capital. At the front we find Borja Gracia, chef of Hattori Hanzo and 47 Ronin.
This is the Sakura Smashed, which has cherry blossoms, white chocolate, roses, ice and a topping of vanilla cream and fresh strawberries. Spring in its purest form.
Healthier and happier: ginger infusion
Ginger is another super ingredient that we cannot do without when looking for alternatives to tea and coffee. It is rich in vitamins A, C, B1, B2 and B6, potassium, calcium, manganese, phosphorus and iron. It is antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and it contains essential oils, such as gingerol, which boast antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.
It also has digestive properties, helps us fight colds, helps reduce the feeling of nausea and is considered a stimulant of the receptors of serotonin, the hormone of happiness. In other words, makes us stronger and happier. It can be mixed with a smoothie or juice, to enhance its flavor and make it even richer from a nutritional point of view. Or also take it as an infusion.
Clipper, the English brand of gourmet teas and infusions, signs a luxury organic infusion with ginger and lemon. It can be purchased in many specialized stores for about 4 euros.