By Vidya Reddy | Tea & Turmeric Co-Founder | 25+ Years of Experience in Holistic Wellness & Ayurvedic Living
Honoring Tradition with Every Cup
When I think about turmeric, I don’t just see a spice. I see my grandmother’s hands, stained gold from the masala dabba she kept in our family kitchen. We grew up in a small Canadian town, but when she moved in from India, she brought her traditions with her.
Warm milk infused with turmeric when we were sick, turmeric paste on scraped knees, every meal beginning with a pinch of gold from the largest compartment of her spice box.
That kitchen became our classroom. And now, through Tea & Turmeric in Laguna Beach, we carry that same tradition forward, sharing what real, therapeutic turmeric can do when it’s grown, prepared, and used the right way.
Why Our Turmeric Works When Others Don’t
Not all turmeric is created equal. Most store-bought turmeric is grown for color, not potency. It often contains very little curcumin, the active compound responsible for its anti-inflammatory and restorative properties, and is processed so harshly that it loses much of what makes it effective.
The turmeric we carry at Tea & Turmeric comes from a family farm in Meghalaya, India, where the Hambakla family has been growing it for generations. Every root is harvested by hand, washed gently, and dried slowly under the Himalayan sun. This careful process preserves a curcumin content of 7.3%, nearly four times higher than most turmeric on the market.
You can see it in the deep orange-gold color, smell it when you open the bag, and feel the difference when you use it.
Shop our Therapeutic Turmeric 7.3%
How to Use Turmeric the Right Way
Even the best turmeric won’t help if your body can’t absorb it. That’s where bioavailability comes in. To unlock turmeric’s full potential, you need three things:
• Black pepper to boost absorption
• Heat to release the curcumin
• Healthy fat to help it bind properly
That’s why our Golden Milk and turmeric teas are crafted with this in mind. The science backs this up: research on curcumin's effects and summaries of turmeric benefits are widely available from trusted sources like Harvard Health and the National Institutes of Health.
No guesswork. Just half a teaspoon a day, stirred into tea, added to coffee, or best made with milk of your choice on the top of the stove and sipped slowly, is enough to support your wellness.
Stories That Stay With Us
One of our customers, Paul from Minnesota, visited while in Laguna Beach. He walked in leaning on a cane and left with our therapeutic turmeric and Inflammation Fighter tea. A month later, he wrote to say he was walking more comfortably and using his cane less.
Stories like Paul’s are why people from across Southern California and beyond seek us out for our expertise and quality wellness teas.
For the full story on Paul's journey from Laguna Beach to Minnesota, the kitchen secrets I learned in Kerala for boosting turmeric absorption, and everything about our therapeutic turmeric, listen to Episode 5 of The Tea on Wellness: Unlocking Turmeric, The Right Way to Use It.
Beyond Powder: Teas and Golden Milk
Our therapeutic 7.3% turmeric powder is just the beginning. We have created a full line of turmeric-based teas including Inflammation Fighter which is warming and grounding, Golden Citrus Ginger which is bright and refreshing, Turmeric Chai which is spiced and traditional, and Butterfly Garden which is floral and vibrant. And our Sacred Golden Milk blend, a recipe passed down by my guruji. More than a drink it is a ritual.
Questions We Hear Often
Why does my turmeric not seem to be doing anything?
This is the most common question we get and the answer is almost always the same. Your body cannot absorb curcumin on its own. Curcumin is fat soluble, which means it passes straight through your digestive system without fat to bind to. Without black pepper your liver breaks it down before it reaches your bloodstream. And without heat the curcumin is not properly released from the turmeric matrix. Most people drinking turmeric daily are absorbing very little of it. The three things that change everything are fat, black pepper, and heat. All three need to be present every single time. Our Sacred Golden Milk blend is formulated with exactly this in mind.
What is the best turmeric for inflammation?
The research points clearly to curcumin as the active compound responsible for turmeric's anti-inflammatory effects. But here is what most people do not know. Turmeric is one of the most commonly adulterated spices, and most commercial turmeric contains only 2% to 5% curcumin, which is often not enough to make a meaningful difference at the amounts people actually use. Our Therapeutic Turmeric is grown by the Hambakla family in Meghalaya, India, harvested by hand, and dried slowly to preserve a curcumin content of 7.3%, nearly four times higher than most options on the market. You can see the difference in the color and smell it when you open the bag. That potency combined with proper preparation is what makes therapeutic turmeric work when grocery store turmeric has not.
What exactly is golden milk and where does it come from?
Golden milk, known as haldi doodh in Hindi, is a traditional Ayurvedic drink made by warming turmeric in milk with spices. It has been part of Indian households for centuries as a daily wellness ritual for everything from soothing sore throats to supporting digestion and sleep. My grandmother made it for us growing up in eastern Canada using turmeric she brought back from India in her suitcase. It was never a trend in our family. It was just what we did when someone needed care. The rest of the world is catching up to what Indian grandmothers have always known.
How much turmeric should I use in golden milk daily?
For our Sacred Golden Milk blend, half a teaspoon per cup is all you need. The blend is already formulated with the right ratio of ingredients to support absorption so there is no guesswork involved. If you are making golden milk from scratch using our Therapeutic Turmeric 7.3%, the same applies. Half a teaspoon is enough because the curcumin content is significantly higher than standard turmeric. More is not better. Too much turmeric becomes bitter and can cause digestive irritation. Consistent daily use prepared correctly with fat and black pepper is what makes the difference over time.
Does golden milk actually help with sleep?
This is one of the first things our customers notice. The warmth itself signals the nervous system to downshift. The spices in our Sacred Golden Milk blend including cardamom and cinnamon are specifically chosen in Ayurveda for their calming and warming properties. And turmeric's anti-inflammatory effect can ease the physical tension that often keeps people awake. It is not a sedative. It is a gentle consistent signal to your body that it is safe to rest. Drink it thirty minutes before bed for best results.
Can I use plant-based milk for golden milk?
Yes. Full fat coconut milk is actually the traditional Ayurvedic choice alongside dairy and works beautifully because the fat content supports curcumin absorption. Oat milk, almond milk, and cashew milk all work well too. The key is fat content. A low fat or watery plant milk will reduce absorption significantly. Whatever milk you choose make sure it has enough fat to do its job.
Where can I buy therapeutic turmeric and Sacred Golden Milk in Orange County?
Right here at Tea & Turmeric in Laguna Beach, the only specialty shop in Orange County focused on therapeutic turmeric and handcrafted Ayurvedic blends. Our Therapeutic Turmeric 7.3%and Sacred Golden Milk are available in the shop at 1175 South Coast Highway and at teaandturmeric.com. We ship nationwide. And if you want to go deeper on how to use turmeric the right way, listen to Episode 5 of The Tea on Wellness podcast.
From Our Kitchen to Yours
Turmeric has been in our family for as long as anyone can remember. Not as a supplement or a trend but as a daily act of care. My amma amma (grandma) knew what it could do long before any lab confirmed it. That knowledge lives in every product we make at Tea & Turmeric.
Come into the shop and let us show you the difference real turmeric makes. Or if you are not local everything we carry is at teaandturmeric.com.
Originally published September 29, 2025. Updated May 25, 2026 with expanded FAQ guidance on turmeric absorption, golden milk, and therapeutic turmeric sourcing.
About the Author
Vidya is a holistic health practitioner with over 25 years of experience in Ayurveda and wellness, including running a private practice in Canada before co-founding Tea & Turmeric in Laguna Beach, Orange County, California. She is the creator of functional herbal teas and spice blends and writes about stress, sleep, digestion, adaptogens, and nervous system support. Her work blends traditional Ayurvedic knowledge with modern functional wellness, translating herbal wisdom into practical everyday rituals. Tea & Turmeric is located at 1175 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651.
