DOSSIER

Cold weather calls for hot beverages, but avoid a caffeine overload with this warm winter drink: Ginger tea. Not only does it warm you from the inside but it also aids in digestion, soothes sore throats, relieves nausea and bloating and promotes circulation.

First, gather your tools: ginger root, spoon, vegetable brush, water, knife (or mandolin), saucepan with lid, air tight container, strainer or slotted spoon.

1-Start with a piece of ginger. Size doesn’t matter, the intensity of the tea comes from the length of time you boil the ginger root.

2-If you are using organic ginger, scrub the peel until it is clean. If it’s not organic, use the side of a spoon to peel the ginger.

3-Slice the ginger root into the thinnest possible slivers. The more surface area that is exposed to the water, the more flavor will be extracted from the ginger root.

4-Simply place the sliced ginger into a pot of water. Use about 25% more water than the amount of ginger tea you want at the end. For example if you’d like 2 cups of ginger tea, start with 2.5 cups of water.

5-Bring water to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to simmer and cover.

6-Simmer for a minimum of 20 minutes. You can taste the tea as you are boiling (be careful not to burn yourself) to check the intensity of the ginger. You can also turn off the flame and keep it covered to steep. The longer you simmer and steep, the deeper the flavor.

7-Once you are happy with the strength of the ginger tea, simply discard the ginger slices and enjoy.

8-Store in an air tight container for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

A few variations:

Add freshly squeezed lemon juice and organic raw honey to your hot ginger tea to sooth a sore throat. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to help clear sinuses.

TO REFRESH

Pour the ginger tea over ice and add chia seeds and freshly squeezed lemon juice for a refreshing fiber-rich iced tea alternative.

Tip: Be sure to soak chia seeds for 24 hours until they become gelatinous. You can soak them in your ginger tea or filtered spring water.

Additional supplies for this version: chia seeds, lemon, hand juicer, ice.