GINGER, LIME AND SALT FIRE STARTER
Whether it’s a special occasion or you’ve found yourself around a table with friends and family and not feeling quite as hungry as the occasion calls for, then eat this aperitif of fresh ginger with lime and salt first before attempting to put a log of food onto a low-burning Agni AKA digestive fire.
I like to make up a little jar as it comes up to the big Christmas gathering — it lasts a couple of days and I find that friends and family want in on the act as soon as they realise how nifty (and tasty!) this appetiser/digestive aid is.
The three ingredients in this concoction are representative of the three Tastes that are characteristic of the Pitta Dosha — associated with fire, and your digestive fire or Agni. Lime is the sour taste, ginger is pungent and the salt is… well, the salty taste! These three all stoke the digestive fire and together they are even more powerful. They make you feel “hungry,” but too much and the heat increases, making you feel hot and irritable — think “hangry!” But why on Earth would I want to feel hungry, I hear you say, when I’m already tempted by the abundance of food and many of them are the kind that’s hard to say to no to? Well, if you’re going to pop anything into your mouth then it’s better to be hungry — hence why Ayurveda recommends not putting anything on a low-burning fire and expecting to feel good on it.
As well as the fire element, the Pitta Dosha is associated with the water element, so just imagine nibbling on some lime, ginger and salt right now, just based on your memory of those foods — if you’re anything like me you can almost feel your mouth watering already. That’s the kickstarter for digestion.
If you’re a Pitta type or suffering from aggravated Pitta, it’s worth mentioning that this isn't a remedy that’s going to be great for you — too much fire and you’re looking at possible heartburn or reflux. So if simply thinking or looking at food is enough to get your mouth watering and your tummy rumbling, then you’re all set to go with no aperitif required.
For everyone else, we don’t want to have to rely on this remedy as an everyday, every-meal situation, but it’s definitely my go-to when my body is out of sync due to circadian rhythm, environmental or emotional factors. I avoid this fire starter at breakfast/too early in the morning and prefer nurturing my digestion before the first meal of the day with some weak ginger tea if it’s asking for a helping hand (save the stronger, more potent stuff for later) as the raw ginger and lime can be quite harsh on a totally empty stomach. It’s a great one though if you’re about to attempt a big brunch and you’ve already had a milky tea or a light brekkie earlier that day.
The all-guns-blazing version: Raw ginger with salt & lime
INGREDIENTS
Serves 2
5cm (2in) piece fresh ginger, peeled
Juice of ½ lime
½ tsp sea salt
METHOD
Slice the ginger as thinly as possible into a jar or small bowl, squeeze over the lime juice and mix in the salt.
Allow to marinate for an hour or so if you’d like the flavours to mingle (like a pickled ginger) or enjoy immediately. Chew and savour a few slices up to 15 minutes before you’d like to tuck into lunch or dinner.
For a quick one-person prep, grate a small amount of fresh ginger onto a spoon, add a squeeze of lime and a pinch of rock salt and chew chew chew!
The quick version: Slices of fresh ginger
Ask for a few slices of fresh ginger (pungent) when you arrive at the restaurant or carry a chunk of fresh ginger with you to chew on if needed. If the restaurant is accommodating, they’ll have lime available too and there should be some sea salt on the table, so you can quite literally make the above recipe while you wait for your food to arrive!! You can also keep a fresh ginger root in the office fridge, tightly wrapped in a beeswax cloth to keep the air out and make sure to keep it dry. This way, it should keep fresh for a few weeks at a time.
