Ginger and Lemon Drink with Basil Seeds

A few weeks ago, I told you about those great basil seeds I found. I've been reading up on them a little bit since then and have also made an amazing discovery - the FRIYA drink with basil seeds. The creators of this crazy but yummy drink are Stephan and Vincenz and their little start-up.

Thanks to these guys, this superfood is now available in Austria - namely as a drink called Friya. Looks eccentric, tastes amazing and serves as a very satisfying in-between snack. One of the basil seed's useful properties is the feeling of satiety they give. Cue - fewer cravings and smaller food intake. Hier you can learn a little more about these magical seeds.

At this point, the basil seed drink is only available in a handful of select locations. I've seen it at the Easy-Going-Bakery, which, by the way, also sells fantastic gluten-free treats; definitely worth a visit! Since my new trendy dragonfruit-flavoured drink isn't readily available, I decided to try and experiment a bit to see whether I couldn't make it myself. Of course the result wasn't quite as delicious and smooth as the original Friya drink, but just as healthy. The ginger and lemon juice I added makes this the ideal winter concoction.

Ginger's the best. Really. In its pure form, it's a little spicy and has a bite, which makes some people's nose run. Others feel a huge wave of warmth running through their body. All this is caused by gingerol molecules which are said to activate and heat up the body's temperature receptors.

The bulb can be eaten unpeeled, peeled or ground. For my superfood drink, I left the ginger unpeeled but sliced it finely.

Many people use ginger for sore throats and colds: finely chop a piece of the bulb and steep it in hot water. The gingerols will increase blood flow in the mucous membranes of nose and throat and activate the body's temperature receptors, counteracting various infections. Germs are flushed out more quickly, which will help prevent colds or speed up the healing process if you've already got one. But first and foremost, ginger's many essential oils are a great antidote for any type of inflammation due to their germ-killing properties.

And here comes my experiment with the basil seeds. Important note: use cold water to prepare!

 

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Ginger and Lemon Drink with Basil Seeds

Ingredients:

  • 1 glass cold water
  • 2 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 TBSP basil seeds
  • 2 tsp honey

Preparation:

  1. Fill a large glass with cold water and the basil seeds. Let sit for around 10 minutes.
  2. Squeeze the lemon.
  3. Wash the ginger with hot water and cut into thin slices.
  4. Combine with the honey and the basil seed water and mix well.
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