Avid TV and cinema consumers would probably be familiar with a certain green can. No, not sprite – ginger ale. When Bob’s Burgers‘ Gene Belcher got a stomach bug, his mother isolated him in the bathroom with a plate of crackers and ginger ale. Sheldon Cooper specifically asks for a room temperature ginger ale with the fizz stirred out when he has an upset stomach in Young Sheldon. Whether or not a can of ginger ale actually helps alleviate an upset stomach is debatable, but having a character consume it is an easy way to tell audiences that he/she is sick without having to explain much. Perhaps a sense of nostalgia is invoked when viewers see fictional mothers hand their children a can, but medicine states that there is some truth to the “ginger ale when sick” culture.
Ginger in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Is ginger ale an effective nausea and cold remedy, or is it a very potent form of placebo? For many East Asian cultures, they choose to exclude the added sugars and soda, and focus on utilizing the main ingredient – ginger – instead. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) specifically, ginger is considered a warming herb effective in treating nausea, indigestion, and cold symptoms. TCM dictates that ailments come when a body’s vital energy is out of balance – good health is the result of “hot” (yin) and “cold” (yang) internal energy that is well balanced. Consuming ginger during a cold replenishes the depleted yang energy, and helps the body recover in various “warming” ways – like how it promotes sweating to lower a fever. To discuss it in a more scientific approach, the ginger’s active ingredients (shogoals, gingerols, zingerone) gives it strong anti-inflammatory properties that gives it its high therapeutic potential.
As the saying goes, “don’t believe everything you see on TV.” Just this once, however, take inspiration from the many motherly figures on your screen, and make this warming drink to help with your ailment.
Honey-ginger tea Recipe
Yield: 1 Serving
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 0 Minutes
Total Time: 10 Minutes
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup of Water
- 1 Green-Tea bag
- 1- 2 tbsp of Honey, to taste
- 2 – 3 tbsp of Fresh Lemon Juice, to taste
- 1 Lemon Round
- 2 grams of Ginger (grated)
Directions:
- Wash and peel the ginger. Grate the ginger, preferably with a zester/microplane grater.
- Slice a whole lemon in half crosswise. Slice one half the same way into thin rings for the lemon round. Squeeze the other half for lemon juice.
- In a kettle or small pot, bring water to a boil. Pour water into a mug.
- Put green-tea bag into mug of water, allow to steep for 2-3 minutes.
- Add grated ginger, honey, and fresh lemon juice. Stir until honey dissolves into the water. Have a taste, and add more honey or lemon juice to your liking.
- Garnish with the lemon round.
Enjoy!
Have fun with it!
Feel free to customize the drink to your liking using a few tips and tricks listed below.
throat soothed, body tea.
Much like everything else, each person has their own preference for tea. This recipe calls for any generic green tea because of its generally lighter and smooth flavor compared to black tea variants. There is also the typically astringent property of black teas that tend to leave behind a dry and sticky mouthfeel, which wouldn’t feel to good when you’re already dealing with a sore throat. At the end of the day, however, sticking with what you like best is always a good idea when you’re recuperating. Cooking and eating itself has never been much of an exact science – having fun and experimenting in the kitchen is also necessary when medicating the soul. Try switching out the green tea with any other tea that suite your mood and needs. Brew this drink with chamomile if you have trouble sleeping, try out the english breakfast for a more familiar feel, or use whatever tea you happen to have at home.
Sweet or sour?
Add as much or as little honey and lemon to your Honey-Ginger Tea, but don’t exclude them completely. The purpose of this drink is to help alleviate your cold, or sore throat. Honey soothes, and the lemon gives you a much needed vitamin C boost. But, do yourself a favor and tweak with the measurements of these ingredients, so your drink is good on your taste buds as it is good for the body.
Boiling – not baking – the ginger (bread man).
Ginger is generally a well accepted spice – not too spicy, with just the right amount of fragrance. This recipe calls for grated ginger specifically, because it adds all the healing properties without overpowering the lighter green tea flavor. For those of you who are huge fans of the ginger, and would love a more robust flavor and burn, try slicing and boiling it in the water before pouring. Boiling about 5-7 moderate slices of ginger in the water releases its natural oils, and gives you a stronger flavor and aroma. If you happen to have powdered ginger at home, feel free to sprinkle a generous amount to cut some prep time.
If you’re interested in a similar remedy with more of a kick, take a look at this Hot Toddy recipe!
