Almond Milk LA
Using truly raw nuts sourced from Californian farms, physical therapist Yael Green offers a tasty drink that’s beneficial to your health
Opening a chilled glass bottle of vibrant yellow turmeric almond milk (aka Golden Milk) reveals not just a delicious drink, but convenient access to a whole food with multiple health benefits. But not all almond milks are created equal; many in the grocery story contain carrageenan as a stabilizer and synthetic vitamins. Founded by physical therapist Yael Green, Almond Milk LA hand-makes fully organic and raw, GMO-free almond milk. The milks—in classic, glass bottles—come ready to drink in pure, honey, cacao, lavender and turmeric flavors. Though all taste clean and delicious, one sip of the turmeric may prompt a serious craving for more.
Green has has seen first-hand the toll that poor diets can play in her patients’ health, and decided to make a product that would help people eat and drink clean. “I saw so many patients that I worked with that were sick because they were not getting whole nutritious food,” she shares. Further, “When you go into a hospital or rehab facility, you eat the worst food ever. When you are trying to get well, you need the food that will get you better. Then you think with the regular population—we can help them not be in those places by eating whole foods as opposed to eating preservatives and fast foods.”
Green uses a simple but somewhat secretive hand-press process to make each batch of almond milk. “Whole raw almonds are ground up and mixed with reverse osmosis water and cacao or other flavored ingredients. Then each bottle is hand-squeezed through a mesh bag.” (Similar to similar to those that juice companies use in their hydraulic press.) She uses only raw honey and cacao from the Dominican Republic, and almonds sourced locally from Californian farms. Green explains that many raw almond products sold in stores are actually flash pasteurized to adhere to what Green calls a “weird law” that process involves bringing the almonds to 125 degrees for about 15 seconds. In California, flash pasteurized almonds can still be called raw, but for Almond Milk LA, Green purchases almonds directly from farmers and makes their milks from truly raw almonds.
In Los Angeles Almond Milk LA is available at Farmshop, The Oaks, Produce Project, Press Brothers at Grand Central Market and through Good Eggs—an online marketplace of sustainable foods and delivery service.
Images courtesy of Almond Milk LA
