Relax with Ginger Tea! A Simple Guide to Preparing a Fresh Cup

Ginger is widely known in the East for its warming properties; if you’ve ever tasted fresh ginger you can attest to this. Natural compounds found in ginger not only enhance culinary dishes with an extra zing, they provide health-promoting support for the body. In fact, within Chinese medicine, ginger has its place as a “hot” food, and thus used to restore bodily balance when health conditions characterized as “cold” arise. Modern science and folk remedies tell us that consuming ginger helps with a variety of situations including easing nausea and digestive complaints, combating inflammation and mitigating cold symptoms, to name a few.

Ginger tea is easily prepared and something I grew up with at home. It can be as simple as combining plain ginger with hot water or dressing it up with extras of your choice such as honey or a bit of lemon. There are different ways to prepare it and you most certainly can experiment to see which suits you best. However you go about it, consuming ginger tea allows you to tap into the variety of natural benefits the herb offers and this may be something to look forward to if you're still acquiring a taste for ginger.

In light of the above, there are many ways to experience ginger but from personal experience, a cup of ginger tea made from scratch does nicely to relax, warm and support oneself, especially when feeling under the weather, rundown or stressed. Remember that fresh ginger can be quite potent so feel free to experiment with how much you use to find an amount that isn’t too strong for you. The recipes below simply provide guidelines. You can always add more later should your tolerance or preference increase.

*Please note: like any other substance, ginger can interact with some medications including certain blood-thinners. Therefore, please check with your physician or healthcare practitioner to ensure ginger consumption is safe for you.

♦ Select ginger roots that appear firm, even somewhat plump as an indication that the root is not overly dehydrated. Older roots tend to be more fibrous and dry but I’ve found that sometimes this is so because of sitting out for too long in the supermarket.

♦ Remove the peel using a metal spoon. Simply hold the root in one hand, the spoon in the other and scrape the skin off using the spoon’s edge in a motion away from you. It comes off quite easily!)

Boiling Method
2-3 inches of a fresh ginger knob, washed, peeled, and cut into slices about 1cm thick
1-2 cups of water

1. Bring water to boil in small pot.
2. Add ginger slices to boiling water.
3. Bring boil down to strong simmer and allow to cook for 5-10 minutes.
4. Serve with or without ginger pieces, add extras* if you like, and enjoy.

Steeping Method

1. Take the sliced ginger and let steep in hot water until desired flavor or aroma emerges. Enjoy with or without ginger slices. 

Grated Method
2-3 inches of fresh ginger knob, washed and peeled
1-2 cups of water brought to a boil, kept hot
Additional room temperature water as necessary

1. Take the ginger root and grate to fine puree using a ginger grater or other fine grater. You will see before you a mixture of grated ginger flesh, fibers and juice.
2. If you do not have a grater that separates the fiber from the juice, take a small hand sieve or strainer and place the wet ginger mixture into it.
3. Press the juice through the sieve into a small container or cup until the remaining fiber mixture feels like a dry mound. Discard the fiber mixture.
4. Combine the hot water with the freshly pressed ginger juice, stir briefly, and let steep for a few minutes. (I personally like to add ¼ cup, give or take, of room temperature water to the cup of juice prior to adding the boiling water to soften the temperature a bit).
5. Add extras if you please and enjoy!

Honey pairs well with ginger and adds a smooth hint of body to the cup when dissolved and mixed in. You can also add any of your favorite sweeteners (like brown sugar) although keeping it simple and natural is my recommendation. Some freshly squeezed lemon or orange juice thrown in also works quite well in balancing the ginger flavor. Some people like to add a dash of spices to their tea too. 

Find yourself relaxing to the warming effects of ginger tea. It may soften a headache, take the edge off indigestion, soothe a sore throat, and prepare you for a good night’s sleep. Welcome ginger into your herbal repertoire and see where it takes you. Be well!