Ginger Tea

Ginger tea is a caffeine-free herbal tisane made by steeping fresh or dried ginger root in hot water, giving a pale gold, faintly cloudy liquor that smells warm, sharp and lemony and drinks hot, pungent and cleanly spicy. It is not a true tea — it contains no Camellia sinensis leaf and no caffeine — but a root infusion valued across Asia and beyond as a warming, comforting drink and a long-standing home remedy for nausea, indigestion and the shivery start of a cold. Sweetened with honey and brightened with lemon, or simmered with milk and spices as in masala chai, it ranges from a delicate everyday cup to a fiery restorative.