Harnessing the power of bitters for better health!
Every once in a while on a school holiday as a child, I recall waking up in the wee hours of the morning. The sun was barely up. My mum would have a bitter tea in hand — usually a decoction of neem. It always tasted the same… disgusting! Why? I would ask? “To keep the bad guys in the belly away” was the prompt reply. Seemed like torture at the time, with sleep so beguiling. But there was no way out of this one. My little brother would throw a fit, wailing away. I remember mum say that if I drank it all up I could go straight back to sleep. Seasoned player I was. That was a fair trade-off: A momentary discomfort to the tempting allure of sleep. I would quickly down the tea and lull back to dreamland. My sweet little brother’s wails seemed so far away.
Over the years growing up, travel and life taking over, that bitter concoction fell off the map on my food journey. I do realize now that bitters should have a place just as important as sour, astringent, umami and sweet (no not the table sugar sweet). I love that I have this new-found affinity to all foods bitter.
My top reasons to incorporate bitters are:
- They prep the body for digestion with their capacity to increase enzymatic action.
- They are great for microbiome diversity (love that!)
- Superb for blood-sugar balancing (that’s a no brainer)
- Help with liver detoxification. Bitters encourage new bile secretion.
It is interesting that I use bitters as much as I do now. Breakfast always starts with a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds (soaked overnight) followed by a shot of blended grapefruit or bitter gourd. During the day we have dandelion/ burdock root tea, sometimes I can throw in a pomegranate peel for some tangy-bitter tea. It is funny though to observe, that the tongue gets so used to the bitter taste, that eventually it all gets easier on the palate. I also picked up a trick in an online gourmet class from Hong Kong University, where sourness was used to diffuse the potency of the bitter taste. So there you go, that is a hack if you are “bitter-shy” ;)
Here are my easy simple ways to bring in some bitters into your routine for better overall health.
Try this Red Dandelion bitter shot
Try this Liver cleansing salad: endive-radish with blood orange dressing
Try this Skin glow salad: radicchio, brussels sprouts with pineapple vinaigrette
Have fun trying out bitters at your own pace. It is amazing how good you will get at handling it. Which reminds me, we play a “straight-face contest” every time we have a bitter shot (who can keep a straighter face after having the drink). I have gotten better with time. But if I am up against my husband, I lose! Not a single muscle on his face will scrunch or fold or whatever! How is that even possible?! :D
What bitters are you partial to? Let me know in the comments below.
