Fresh Ginger Tea

Tanya Eisenwasser

Print Recipe

A low histamine ginger tea with fresh ginger root, water, and a touch of maple syrup.

Prep 3 min

Cook 15 min

Serves 2

Gluten-freeDairy-freeVegan

Ingredients

• 2 inches fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced into thin coins
• 3 cups water
• 1 to 2 teaspoons maple syrup, to taste (optional)
• Ice cubes (optional, for the iced version)

Instructions

1. Scrape the skin off the ginger with the edge of a spoon, then cut the root into coins about 1/8 inch thick. Thin coins give up far more flavor than thick chunks.
2. Put the ginger and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Turn the heat down and simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes. Go 12 to 15 minutes if you want a sharper cup.
4. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into two mugs.
5. Stir in the maple syrup, if using, and drink it hot.
6. For iced tea, skip steps 4 and 5. Let the covered pot stand off the heat for 10 minutes, then strain it into two tall heatproof glasses of ice and stir in the maple syrup.

Tips & Substitutions

• Slice thin instead of adding more root. A thicker slice only exposes less surface to the water. If the tea tastes flat, cut the coins thinner or simmer a few minutes longer before you reach for a bigger piece of ginger.
• Use fresh or fresh-frozen ginger. Jarred ginger paste and squeeze tubes usually carry preservatives and have been sitting open in the fridge. Buy a firm root with smooth skin and store what you do not use in the freezer, where it slices easily straight from frozen.
• Keep sliced ginger ready. Cut a batch of coins on a day you feel fine and freeze them flat in a bag. A pot of tea is then three minutes of work on a day when it is not.
• Sweeten at the end. Maple syrup keeps this vegan. Honey works just as well if it sits fine with you, though it makes the recipe no longer vegan. Both dissolve better in a hot cup than in a simmering pot.
• Add mint for an iced version. Drop a handful of fresh mint leaves into the strained pot while it cools, or follow the full iced ginger mint tea recipe.
• Add lemongrass for a brighter cup. Two bruised stalks simmered with the ginger turn this into lemongrass ginger tea, which is the version to make when you want something lemony without citrus.
• Want it creamy instead. Simmer the ginger in coconut milk rather than water and you are most of the way to a golden turmeric latte.

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Why This Works

Fresh ginger. Generally considered low histamine and one of the most commonly tolerated aromatics on a restricted diet. Sliced thin and simmered, it gives a clean, peppery heat that carries a whole cup on its own. Tolerance varies, so start with a shorter simmer and see how a mild cup sits before you brew a strong one.

Water and nothing else. No blend, no flavoring, no bagged mix of unnamed botanicals. When the tea is two ingredients you know exactly what you drank, which matters when you are tracking what agrees with you.

Maple syrup. Pure maple syrup is generally well tolerated and simpler than flavored syrups. Individual tolerance to sweeteners varies, so start with a teaspoon.

Freshness over stock. Ginger that has gone soft or wrinkled in the drawer for weeks is a different ingredient from a firm root bought this week. Freshness matters as much as the food list itself.

Storage

Ginger tea is best in the first hour after it is strained. Make what you will drink now. If a pot is left, cover it, refrigerate it, and finish it within the day, rewarmed gently on the stove or poured over ice. Frozen ginger coins keep for about three months.