Fresh Ginger Tea

Ginger tea is made by simmering slices of fresh ginger rhizome, Zingiber officinale, in water until the heat and aroma come out. The cup is spicy, bright and faintly lemony. Simmered at 100°C for ten to fifteen minutes, then strained.

Origin & Story

Ginger starts life as a root that is not a root. What we slice for tea is the rhizome of Zingiber officinale, an underground stem that stores the plant's fiery oils, and it has been traveling for thousands of years. It is thought to have begun in maritime Southeast Asia and to have been carried across the Indo-Pacific by Austronesian sailors, who may have brought it to India around 1500 BC.

From India it moved west with the spice trade, reaching the Mediterranean by about the first century. The name keeps the route: Zingiber is thought to come from a Greek word for ginger, zingiveris, which is said in turn to derive from the Sanskrit shringavera. India is today both the largest producer and a major consumer of ginger, grown in states such as Kerala, Karnataka and Meghalaya, and the crop has been grown in Kerala since ancient times.

The heat of ginger tea comes from gingerol and related compounds in the fresh root, and the way you cut and cook it sets the strength. Thin slices or crushed pieces give up more than thick chunks, and a longer simmer gives a hotter cup. Five minutes at a simmer makes a gentle tea, ten makes a ginger-forward one, and some like fifteen.

Fresh ginger tastes of more than heat. Under the pepper there is a bright, lemony edge and a little sweetness, which is why honey, lemon and a spoon of brown sugar all suit it.

Simmer 20 g of sliced fresh ginger in 300 ml of water for ten to fifteen minutes, strain, and serve about 240 ml, with honey or lemon if you like.

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