It is not a tea you drink for "enjoyment" or because it "tastes good" you drink it because it's healthy and makes you feel better.
I learned to make this tea from my mother who was taught to make it by a Chinese acquaintance whom she use to work for who always prepared this when she was sick.
The reason this tea is good for you is because ginger root is anti-inflammatory thus reduces inflamation helping with congestion, stuffy nose and headaches. Plus ginger in Chinese hot and cold theory is considered a "hot food" which is good for colds. Garlic on the other hand is anti-bacterial and boosts immune system, good for blood circulation to.
You don't have to take my word for it you can do some research if you don't believe me :) I'm sick right now and to lazy to go look for sources.
So since I've been sick I've been drinking some ginger and garlic tea, some chicken soup with lots of veggies, and my over the counter medication. I need to get better soon I've only been sick since Friday afternoon.
Ingredients:
-8 cups water
-6 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half lengh wise
-1 big thumb size piece fresh ginger root, peeled, thinly sliced into rounds then cut in half
Directions:
(1)In a pot put water, ginger root, and garlic, bring to boil on high then leave on medium heat covered for 10 minutes boiling, the water will change color and be a cloudy light gold color? Kinda murkey.
(2)Serve in a cup, but be sure to strain it when serving you don't want pieces of ginger or garlic when your drinking it.
(3)Drink through out the day, and yeah that's it. That's what I do :) Just wanted to share. Also if it's cold it tastes stronger and terrible so have it hot or warm.
P.S.
Lime and honey is also good for soar throat though I do not have a soar throat just fever, light coughing, and stuffy nose but it's getting better :)
Oh yeah this tea does stink throws strong ginger and garlic aroma... so yeah... if you can't stand it which I can't add a lot of freshly squeezed lime and honey to taste.
I'm so sorry to hear you are sick! I hope you are feeling much better by now. Thanks for sharing the recipe for this tea-- I'll bet it is very healing, if not the best-tasting thing you ever put in your mouth, LOL! You could sort of think of it as Chinese chicken soup without the chicken ;)! Actually, I bet you could use chicken broth instead of water to make the tea and get the best of both worlds!
ReplyDeleteI am sick too... actually, I've BEEN sick for weeks, first with a cold, then a cough, and now, earache and sore throat. I'm going to give this tea a try!
Ai, pobrecito Nathan! Sorry to hear you don't feel ok chico. Here in Spain there's a big thing about flu this year. We are lucky and didn't catch it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the ancestral wiseness!!!! I love to hear about this old remedies.
Get better soon guapo!
Karen Brown Letarte,
ReplyDeleteHaha yup the best tasting thing ever... j/k. I think I have the flu because it doesn't go away. I am slightly better now, no fevers, and no body aches, just a little sniffles, and now some light coughing.
I think I'm gonna make some Filipino "Arroz Caldo" it sounds really delicious and comforting and has tons of ginger and garlic, hehe so I'll use me being sick as an excuse to eat a bunch of that rice porridge.
Nuria,
Gracias Nuria! Here to it seems flu is in season, 1 friend from school got sick Sunday, another was sick Thursday, and another friend of mine has her brother and aunt sick.
Well I should be good soon I hope hopefully before Saturday I want to go celebrate Chinese New Years with friends at Chinatown LA this year to see some Parade, eat and have fun.
This would be a good tonic to KEEP
ReplyDeleteone healthy, not just make one better.
Hi Nathan,
ReplyDeleteI love your blog. I usually drink this tea without the ginger but will now try it with it. It works every single time, especially if you start taking it right when you start getting an itchy throat at the beginning of the cold. It's like a miracle and doesn't let the cold become miserable.
Anyway, I put industrial quantities of lime juice and honey in it and it takes the bad smell away. ;-)
I've been trying to spread the knowledge of garlic tea around my friends but they all think I'm crazy. Ha ha! BTW I'm Cuban too and I think you are doing a great job with your recipes (many of which I have tried!).
Mildred
Hi Mildred,
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by I enjoy hearing from other's who enjoyed my blog posts.
I will have to try the industrial quantities of lime and honey to make it more palatable because I HATE to drink it just like that.
I sometimes drink just the garlic tea to, but the ginger really helps decongest your nose.
I'm such a garlic freak, I love the stuff, we always go heavy on the garlic in my house, the good thing is that when it's cooked in the sofrito's and stuff it doesn't make you stink. But in Mojo's you'll stink lol.