Winter Warmer

 In the 70s, I feel in love with Anne McCaffrey's writing and her fantasy world Pern, with its telepathic dragons and dragon riders! Who doesn't want a dragon (or more practically), small fire lizard in their corner?

Map of Pern

And throughout these magical books, two drinks figure prominently, wine from Benden hold, and Klah...

'Aleesa herself served him up a cup of Klah. Pellar nodded and smiled in thanks, cupping his hands gratefully around the warmth. The klah was thin and watered down.' (Dragon's Fire,  p 92)

So - what's Klah, and how do I make it? 

The mythical Pern is the 3rd planet from its system's star, Rukbat, with a similar climate to the colonists home planet Earth.  As they settle in, they miss their familiar coffee. The early botanists find the bark of a native tree to have stimulant properties, and that it tastes rather like a blend between coffee and cinnamon, so begin using it for their daily brew.

Klah, book and recipe

A decade or so ago, a companion guidebook to the series included an Earth-adapted recipe for klah, and I was finally able to try it and experiment! Around midwinter, I think of making Klah - using coffee or chai as the base, or days / in the evening when I don't want the caffeine or L-Theanine, I might use rooibos chai or roasted chicory.

Often combined with coffee, chicory adds a a similar taste without the caffeine. Like many roots, it's also a good source of prebiotics*. 

If you've ever had coffee in New Orleans, the beans were likely mixed with chicory. Postem & other coffee substitutes also contain chicory, but often mixed with barley malt (which I loved, but it's a no-no for GF folk!)

Want to include more adaptogens? Reishi and Chaga mushroom are good options to help reduce oxidative stress. Reishi or Ling Zhi, (spirit plant) has a number of health enhancing properties, hence it's title 'Mushroom of Kings (or Emperors)' Reishi is reputed to "keep the body light and young and to lengthen life."

Dr Josh Axe writes: "Their beta-glucans increase T-cell levels in the immune system which can help people suffering from immune disorders, & can help reduce cancer cell growth and the spread of tumors. They contain ganoderic acids that lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of blood clots and even help to correct arrhythmia, & lanostan, a natural antihistamine that can treat arthritis and muscle aches."

Both Reishi and Chaga mushrooms (which have similar properties) grow on the sides of trees, and add a plesantly bitter taste.  BPC suggests simmering a tsp or two of the powdered mushroom for 15-20 minutes, sometimes I do that, at others, just use my French press.

And what are *prebiotics? Tamara writes: "Prebiotics are simply a specific type of soluble fiber that people cannot digest, but the friendly bacteria in our guts can! In other words, prebiotics are food for “probiotics,” or the health-promoting bacteria that live in our intestines and help protect us from pathogenic bacteria." Now, how cool is that??

She goes on to warn that as that digestive process is going on, gas is a bi-product, hence 'go easy at first' .... this fills in the blank on Jerusalem Artichokes, which some folks don't like, as eating them can trigger excess gas! (they are another source of inulin, a prebiotic fiber) 

So when upping your intake of prebiotics, be sure you're also getting probiotics - yogurt, kombucha, fermented foods, and give your system to adjust!

What's your favorite warm beverage?