He made one drink from the red flowers of the sorrel plant, which grows throughout the Caribbean, along with ginger, cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon, whole cloves, brown sugar and rum.

FORBES: Barbados, The Rum Island

Turmeric, ground from Curcuma longa, a knobby root that looks similar to fresh ginger, has been used as an anti-inflammatory in India for thousands of years, says Shailinder Sodhi, who teaches ayurvedic, or traditional Indian, medicine, at Bastyr University, in Kenmore, Wash.

WSJ: Flavor in Curry Favored by Some for Joint Pain