Ginger Honey Tea: The Beverage that Bites Back

I caught a cold from my germ-bag nephew, who rarely fails to pass on some kind of bug to me during our visits.  It was a perfect opportunity to pamper myself with orange juice, chicken soup, and one of my favorite things in the universe:  Ginger Tea.

I’ve actually never made this from scratch before.  When I lived in Southwest China, there was a restaurant that would brew up a pot for a few dollars.  At some point, I found a crystallized mix that worked rather well, but it was very sugary and left an uncomfortable sensation on my teeth.  So, this week, I decided to try to make of this glorious beverage from fresh ginger. 

Here’s how I did it; I bet you could play with the proportions quite a bit.

Ginger Honey Tea

1 – 2 fresh ginger roots; shredded, or finely chopped.

4 to 6 cups water

Honey

In medium saucepan, bring the water to a rapid boil and add the chopped ginger.  Return to boil before turning the heat off.  Let it sit and steep for a while.  I let it steep for 10 or 15 minutes. 

Pour into glass jars or teapot, being careful to strain out the chunks of ginger.  Add as much honey as you want, aiming for the desired sweetness.  I think I ended up using like 10 teaspoons.  It might take a lot. 

You can now drink as much as you like, or save it for later in the fridge.  You may find it packs more punch than you like, so feel free to add water to tone it down.  You can also add some hot milk to make a sort of Ginger Latte.  Lemon may go really well with it too.  The sky is the limit.  Play around with as many options as you want.