How to Make Ginger Tea that Tastes Great

Ginger tea is popular throughout Asia and Africa.

Tea made with fresh ginger is a centuries-old tradition throughout Asia and Africa, especially in balmy climates where some find ginger's tart flavor and sweet smell soothing. Ginger enjoys popularity in North America as a result of its many health benefits. For example, the aromatic rhizome assists digestion and lowers fever. Some natural health specialists claim that it has immunity-boosting properties. You can find dried ginger tea in any grocery, but it will not taste as good as homemade tea that uses fresh ginger. Fortunately, great-tasting ginger tea is easy to make at home.

Things You'll Need

• 3 cups water or 3 cups whole milk
• Medium saucepan
• 1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger
• 2 tsp. loose leaf black tea, optional
• 1 tbsp. sugar or 2 tsp. honey
• 3 cracked cardamom pods, optional
• 1 cinnamon stick, optional
• 1 large pinch fennel seeds optional
• 1 tbsp. unsalted roasted peanuts, cashews, pine nuts or walnuts
• 1 wooden spoon
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice, optional
• Cheesecloth
• Heat proof bowl or pitcher
• Tea cup or mug

Instructions

1. Pour 3 cups water or 3 cups whole milk into a medium saucepan.

2. Add 1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger to the saucepan. If you prefer a caffeinated beverage, add 2 tsp. loose-leaf black tea.

3. Add 1 tbsp. granulated sugar or 2 tsp. honey to the saucepan.

4. Add one or more of the following if you like: three cracked cardamom pods, one cinnamon stick and one large pinch fennel seeds. These aromatics taste great with either milk or water.

5. Add 1 tbsp. unsalted whole roasted peanuts, cashews, pine nuts or walnuts to the pan. The nutty flavor helps balance ginger's tart flavor.

6. Place your saucepan on a stove burner, and bring it to medium-high heat until you reach a slow boil. Stir with a wooden or metal spoon to prevent burning if using milk.

7. Turn the heat to medium-low and cover the saucepan. Leave it to simmer for 15 minutes. If using milk, stir the ingredients every four or five minutes to prevent burning.

8. Remove saucepan from heat, but keep it covered. Set saucepan aside to continue steeping for about 10 minutes.

9. Drain liquid into a pitcher or bowl using a cheesecloth and discard the leftover spices. If using water, add 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice to the liquid.

Tips & Warnings

• If you use milk as well as additional spices, your tea will resemble a traditional Indian chai.

• Though ginger tea has some health benefits, you should not use it as an alternative to medical care. Indigestion and fever may be symptomatic of a serious disease, so see a healthcare professional for treatment. If you are using ginger tea to get relief from a cold or flu, avoid using milk. It will not cause your illness to worsen but can feel cloying and unpleasant in your throat.

References

• Food Network; Lemon Ginger Tea Recipe; M.S. Milliken and S. Feniger; 1997
• Extending the Table: A World Community Cookbook; Joetta Handrich Schlabach
• Growing Raw: Ginger Tea Benefits Digestion
• "Vegetarian Times": Ginger Tea
• Tar Dalal: Honey Ginger Tea
• Serious Eats; Peanut and Ginger Tea; Lee Zalben; March 2011

Resources

• Belsandia: Ginger Tea Recipe with Toasted Pine Nuts
• Food Network; Ginger Tea Lemonade; Giada De Laurentiis
• The Cook's Thesaurus: Ginger and Other Rhizomes
• Wonder of Tea: Ginger Tea Recipes
• Recipes by Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor; Ginger Tea; Sanjeev Kapoor
• "Food and Wine"; Green Ginger Iced Tea; Melissa Rubel Jacobson; June 2005