I’d planned on posting this recipe anyway, but Michelle over at My Zoetrope has named ginger and lemon as this week’s vegan mofo iron chef challenge. Call it a cop out entry (really, this is a stupidly easy thing to make), but you’ll be grateful once you try it. So simple it’s hardly worth posting yet so good it’s worth sharing, this incredibly simple tea consists of just a few key ingredients and is the perfect wintertime drink.
I discovered this simple tea a couple of weeks ago in Rishikesh, a city in Northern India famous for yoga and hippies. A young man at our hotel restaurant pushed it on me, claiming it would cure my cough. While we insisted the lifetime of my cough goes back to 1990 or so, he continued to proclaim the tea’s natural cough-curing qualities. Finally I took him up on his offer, and now I’m hooked.
The cough remains.
Recipe Notes
The local recipes used honey, but any sweetener will do. I’ve tried it with sugar and agave both, and it’s just fab either way! I’ve also sampled this drink both with and without the addition of a tea bag and both are acceptable. In fact the only reason I’m talking so much about the tea is because it’s the first time in my life I’ve ever voluntarily consumed anything with a breakfast tea involved. Yes, I think I have conquered my English tea phobia. Miracles do happen.
Of course the quantities I suggest are based purely on my personal tastes. I love lemon and like a bit of a bite, so you may want to cut back on the citrus if you want a lighter flavour.
- Cut the ginger into thin slivers and steep in boiling water for 5-10 minutes before adding lemon juice and the sweetener or your choice.
- For additional flavour, infuse with a tea bag. Don’t go for anything fancy here; just a standard breakfast tea is all you want.
- Laugh at how easy it was to make something so yummy.
Mo says
15 October, 2009 at 3:39 pmThat tea sounds wonderful!
Mo says
15 October, 2009 at 9:39 pmThat tea sounds wonderful!
Tina says
6 July, 2010 at 6:29 amSounds good. Also, simple is great! I plan on making this tonight.
Amandacakes15 says
4 September, 2011 at 12:23 amCould I use earl grey? I don’t have a breakfast tea.
Kip says
4 September, 2011 at 8:08 amI’m pretty sure that would work since that’s a spiced tea, but breakfast tea is effectively your bog standard tea. I’m not sure of brands in the US but Lipton perhaps?
Jen says
24 December, 2011 at 6:31 pmActually, in India they call “lime” lemon — just came back froM McLeod Ganj and had Lemon Ginger tea daily (but it’s really Lime Ginger tea).
Nish says
21 March, 2012 at 12:10 pmLoved Step 3 of the Instructions 🙂 I googled Ginger and Lemon tea and found your recipe; and 15 min later I am now sitting here drinking this lovely tea (I didnt add a normal tea bag, and used Manuka honey as sweetener – it apparently has anti bacterial properties so its only good!). Many thanks for sharing the recipe!