Introducing:

Ingefær.

Jengibre.

Ginger.

The respective Danish, Spanish, and English words for this popular spice and medicinal herb. Known for its many benefits including but not limited to: easing motion sickness, helping a cold and/or sore throat, reducing air/gas, and strengthening the immune system this stem is pretty rad.

Ginger tea is also one of my favorite and, at times, most sipped teas especially in the cooler months. During law school I would make it each morning and I would either make an insulated thermos of it to bring with me and sip throughout the day or if I did not finish it before heading out I would but it in a tumbler and bring it along. It worked really well except for the one time that I had too much to carry and my tumbler took a tumble. For better or worse, I was accompanied by the gingery and lemony smell all day. Upps!

If you are feeling a little run down or you like a strong tea, you can add more ginger. Also, feel free to add a pinch of cayenne pepper and squeeze of lemon to add to it a bit of a zing. I caution you with the lemon - the acid can erode your pearly whites so be mindful to swish with plain water after. If you want to add a touch of sweet, you can stir in maple syrup or honey.

TO MAKE:

knob of ginger

lemon, if desired

honey, if desired

cayenne pepper, if desired

boiled water

STEPS:

Turn the kettle on. Cut the desired amount of ginger. Peel and then slice into small pieces. Cut a slice of lemon and remove peel. Place ginger pieces and lemon in your favorite mug. Once water brought to a boil, slowly pour on top. Stir in maple syrup or honey once the tea has cooled a bit. Enjoy :)