‘OLENA & GINGER INFUSED HONEY
Recipe and photography by Lily Diamond of Kale & Caramel.www.kaleandcaramel.comBefore I can name them, I smell ginger and wet earth, wild susurrations of the dense jungle that runs along Honopou Stream. This is where I come to remember. Here, in the quietness of water and green and soil, there is nowhere to turn that does not remind me I am also of this land.My feet sink into soil infused with decades of ginger root, air perfumed with spice rising upward to touch leaf-refracted sunlight. Birds call. Water hammers relentlessly over rock. Lauhala branches murmur. White ginger blooms, defiantly. I am home.Later, I infuse Kula honey with the most potent roots of the land I can find: Fresh `olena (turmeric) for protection and healing. Ginger for strength. Shades of gold and orange filled with curcuminoids, anti-inflammatories, antibacterials, digestive aids. Drizzle over fruit and yogurt. In hot water for a potent tonic. On toast. Sweet and spicy. Wild.
Equipment
- Knife or Vegetable Peeler
- Knife or Fine Grater
- Food Processor or Mortar and Pestle
- Strainer (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Filtered Honey
- 1 ½-inch Piece Fresh 'Olena (turmeric) Root
- 1 ½-inch Piece Fresh Ginger Root
Instructions
- Using a knife or vegetable peeler, scrape the skins of the `olena and ginger from the root and discard.
- Finely grate the roots, or slice them into very thin pieces and place them in a small food processor or mortar and pestle.
- Grind or process until the roots are finely ground. Mix with honey and let infuse, covered, out of the sun, until the desired potency is reached (1-7 days).
- After infusing, leave roots in honey, or strain out, as desired. Use in every way you’d normally enjoy honey.
Notes
`Olena contains powerful natural dyes that will stain all they touch—including your skin and all kitchen utensils and surfaces.
