Tea for Cold, Flu
Ginger and spring onion tea
Choose old, stringy root ginger rather than a young, juicy piece. Spring onions can be as thin as a pencil or up to 1 in. (2.5 cm) thick. Use one large or two small spring onions.
· 4-5 slices old ginger root
· 2 small spring onions, white parts only
· 3 cups (850 ml) of water
Wash the ginger root and cut 4-5 slices, about 1/8 in. (3 mm) thick across the grain. Wash the spring onions and cut off the green leaves – you only need the white parts. Slice the white parts in half lengthwise and put the ginger and spring onion into the teapot with some green tea leaves. Bring the water to the boil and pour it over the ingredients. Cover the pot and leave to stand for 2-3 minutes before drinking.
You can make this tea more potent by adding a little good-quality sea salt.
For colds with slight feverish headache
Sweet ginger tea
Choose old, stringy ginger root and golden rock sugar from a Chinese market for this soothing tea. Rock sugar is sold in small boxes. If the lumps are very large, wrap them in a dish towel and break them with a hammer or rolling pin into smaller pieces.
· 6-7 slices old ginger root
· Rock sugar
· 3 cups (850 ml) of water
Wash the ginger root and cut 6-7 slices, about 1/8 in (3 mm) thick across the grain. Put the ginger root into a teapot with some green tea. Bring the water to the boil, pour it into the pot, and add rock sugar to taste. Stir the tea briefly, then cover the pot. Leave to stand for 2-3 minutes before drinking.
Lei Ch`a (ground tea)
This very famous tea is used to treat flu or flu-like symptoms. There is a story about this tea, which dates from the Three Kingdoms period (A.D. 221-277).
A famous general was with his army in a mountainous district when he and all of his soldiers fell ill with flu. The local people knew of a special tea to treat the illness, but the recipe was a closely guarded secret. Nonetheless, the villagers decided that they had to try and help the army and gave them the tea to drink. The general and his army recovered and the tea became famous. Today, visitors to mountain villages are sometimes welcomed with this tea.
· 1 teaspoon green tea leaves
· 1 dessertspoon of long grain white rice, uncooked
· 2-3 thin slices of fresh root ginger, cut across the grain
· 3 cups (850 ml) of water
Wash the rice and finely chop the ginger slices. Put the tea, rice, and ginger into a mortar with a little cold water and use a pestle to grind them into a fine paste (you may also use a food processor).
Pour the water into a saucepan and bring it to the boil. Add the paste and continue to boil, stirring clockwise for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before drinking.
You may adjust the proportions of the ingredients to taste.
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