You may have heard the slogan “You’ve tried the rest; now try the best.” That’s the way I feel about this tea recipe. It was developed ages ago by the fantastic folk at the Commonweal Cancer Help Program, a renowned retreat for patients and caregivers, and they’ve been very kind in allowing me to share their recipe with you. When I am cooking at Commonweal, I often make about six quarts a day so I’ll have some on hand for anyone who comes through the door, and still, it’s never enough. The blend of ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom is like a backrub in a cup. It turns me into absolute mush, it’s so good.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 8 cups
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Combine the ginger and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Step 2
Add the coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves and continue to simmer for an additional 20 minutes.
Step 3
Strain the tea through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan. (I recommend that you save the spices; see Rebecca’s Notes.) Add the rice milk and maple syrup and gently reheat without boiling for 2 to 3 minutes, until warm. Stir in the vanilla, then taste. Add more milk or sweetener if you like. Serve hot or cold.
rebecca’s notes
Step 4
The tea will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks without the milk and sweetener, so you may want to set some aside prior to adding the milk and sweetener.
Step 5
Recycle the spices that are strained out of the tea and use them to make another, smaller batch of tea. They’ll keep in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. To make more tea, combine the spices and 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of peeled fresh ginger slices. Simmer for 30 minutes, then strain the tea and discard the spices. Add sweetener and milk to taste and reheat without boiling for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla before serving.
storage
Step 6
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week.
nutrition information
Step 7
(per serving)
Step 8
Calories: 40
Step 9
Total Fat: 0.9g (0g saturated, 0.6g monounsaturated)
Step 10
Carbohydrates: 8g
Step 11
Protein: 0g
Step 12
Fiber: 1g
Step 13
Sodium: 15mg
