Let’s be clear. I’m not dispensing medical advice here. I just have a killer cold and this is what I’m having right now and it’s pretty tasty (although I can’t taste that well right now) so I thought I’d share. It has a bunch of the commonly recommended cold fighting stuff: citrus for vitamin C, honey to boost immune system, ginger for virus fighting stuff, and black tea… I read that it does something like “speed the action of cilia, the tiny hairlike cells lining your nasal passages, helping them expel germs.”
Cold Fighting Tea
- 2 cups water
- 1.5 ounces fresh ginger, cut into 3 pieces and smashed
- 1/4 lemon
- 1 tea bag (black tea)
- 2 tablespoons of honey
Instructions –
1. In a small pot, bring water to a boil. Add ginger. Squeeze juice of lemon in and then drop the rind in. Add tea bag (tie string to pot handle). Stir in honey. Return to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Remove the tea bag and continue simmering for another 7 minutes. Strain into cup and enjoy.
my dad does a similar one but with dates. he’ll take the dried chinese dates, boil them with ginger and then serve it like that 🙂
My mom always made that stuff for us when we were sick as kids. Or she just fed us honey with a squeeze of lemon. Works wonders!
Cayenne pepper is another great addition to at-home cold remedies – I use that along with honey and lemon in this recipe for Cold Fighting Tea.
I’m keeping this handy next time I’m sick (knock on wood!)
so tasty. yet helpful. love it.
bit of a heads up though, i reckon the honey should be mixed in afterwards when the tea has cooled down a bit. this is because hot water kills the enzymes in honey which ‘fights’ the cold.
SccL, thanks…that might explain why I’m still sick. =(
I have often felt that having control over the ingredients that go into your sick body are infinitely more beneficial than any packaged relief. I love using fresh ginger too–there’s something so fresh and comforting about it! I second the honey added after boiling though. My mom always said honey is a finishing ingredient in cold-fighting recipes.
I always drink lemon ginger tea when I’m sick – the black tea is new to me though. I just heard about adding tumeric to peppermint tea for allergies too, but I haven’t tried it yet. Hop you feel better!
I second Hartley, cayenne is an essential element to the tea. Also add the honey and lemon at the last moment.
The 90 year old Babushkas at church swear by a tea that’s similar… and I’ve learned to listen to them! The only difference is- add a shot of vodka or whiskey. Don’t drink it all at once, just sip it slowly until it cools down.
I’ve taught in elementary schools for the last 25 years, and suffered from bronchitis at least twice every year. This is the FIRST non-prescription thing I’ve tried that had any effect.
Hey jessica, hope your cold is better now. Ginger tea is a favoured Indian remedy for colds too. I am sure it worked for you
I add lemon and honey to my tea when I have a cold too. It totally soothes the throat! I should try adding ginger next time too. Mmmm.