
A Sri Lankan American Perspective on the Turmeric Latte Trend
Turmeric got its mainstream western rebrand as a trending beverage of 2016. Around 2017 and 2018, turmeric lattes were at small and large coffee shops alike. There were so many new non-South Asian-owned turmeric wellness products hitting the market. Advertisements for turmeric lattes depicted instagram-able yellow lattes, honeyed rivers, and liquid gold. Here at Kola Goodies, weâve been thinking about the conversations around the trend and what led us to create our Turmeric Latte.Â
The Marketing Behind Golden Milk Lattes
When we search âturmeric latteâ on Google, we notice that western outlets and coffee shop press releases emphasize words like âwellnessâ, âwarmthâ, âanti-inflammatoryâ, and âaromaticâ â all true. Itâs called anything from âgolden milk latteâ, to âmoon milkâ. We noticed that advertisements and in-house articles by coffee companies rarely mention its South Asian origin. The way headlines are phrased, like âjumping on the bandwagonâ or âa golden twist to your latteâ, or âHave you heard of turmeric?â adds to that hip-and-happening and sensationalized feeling of the western golden milk latte. As if we havenât used it for thousands of years. Itâs positioned as something you need to drink now because everyone is drinking it. Weâve seen this happen with so many other trends with cultural roots that are rediscovered from people outside their culture of origin.Â
How We Created Kola Goodies Turmeric Latte
Our founder Sajani recalls, âGrowing up in Sri Lanka, my family would put turmeric in everything weâd eat or use it as a face mask. Even if a recipe didnât require turmeric, my mom would put it in because it kills bacteria.â Turmeric was a key ingredient in the concoctions she would drink at the first sign of a cold, because of its immunity-boosting property. This was always in the back of Sajaniâs mind when she started Kola Goodies.Â
What made us launch our Turmeric Latte was the fact that itâs such a South Asian ritual. It might look different across South Asian countries or cultures, but turmeric as an immunity drink has been such a commonality for us, South Asians, growing up. Our Turmeric Latte is the first Sri Lankan turmeric latte product and among the first South Asian-American turmeric products on the market. Sourcing our turmeric directly from Sri Lankan farmers was so important for us, despite a turmeric shortage that has increased its price significantly in Sri Lanka.Â
We wanted the Turmeric Latte to be a yummy treat that is also good for you. We did just that with these superfood ingredients: ashwagandha (a stress-supporting adaptogen) ceylon cinnamon (good for your blood sugar) and ginger (good for digestion and circulation). We wanted to create an easy, warm, at-home latte experience â you just have to add hot water. The oat milk and coconut milk combined especially add a creamy, frothy texture and delicious taste.Â
There is Room for Us
Sajani would wonder: âWhy arenât we, as South Asians, at the forefront of creating these products for the market? We are in the best position to bring along the communities who are growing these ingredients or have practiced these rituals for generations. We can really tell the stories behind them and shift the conversations around trends. There is room for us.âÂ
We think that turmeric and its popularity is great, but itâs just one of the many great things we have in South Asia. That was also part of Sajaniâs thought process around launching the Super Green Latte.Â
Online, we searched for perspectives on turmeric from South Asians. We wanted to highlight two articles we especially loved: First, in How Indian is Your âTurmeric Latteâ? Food52, Mayukh Sen speaks about encountering turmeric lattes in coffee shops, the history around turmeric, and the simplification of turmeric milk being seen as âIndianâ. Second, Priya Krishnaâs Bon AppĂ©tit interview with Diaspora Co. founder Sana Javeri Kadri on turmeric and the unfair compensation of Indian spice farmers, which is often missing in western media about the turmeric trend.
With our Turmeric Latte, we are bringing our heritage forward with a delicious, superfood-rich beverage, sourced with the freshest turmeric.Â