2-Ingredient Ginger Honey Tea Recipe

In heaven it’s 72°F and sunny, but until it’s my turn to count worms, I have to endure Central Virginia’s bone-chilling winters. There are at least three more months of cold, dark days ahead this year, so why not make the most of it?

I don’t intend to ski or build a snowman. Instead, until warmer days return, I will wear stretchy pants and tuck in under a blanket with a warm cup of tea.

What kind of tea, you ask? My go-to is saeng-gang-cha, a Korean honey ginger tea, and the ultimate restorative elixir. You can find it jarred at the store, but homemade is just as easy. Made the way my grandmother taught me, it calls for just two ingredients: coarsely chopped fresh ginger and honey. It’s a high-octane concoction that you can keep in the fridge or freezer and stir into hot water whenever you feel a chill.

How To Make My 2-Ingredient Honey Ginger Tea 

You’ll need a small, tight-sealing glass jar or food storage container and the following ingredients:

• A large knob fresh ginger (about 1/2 pound)
• 8- to 12-ounce jar honey

Peel the ginger (or don’t, but know that it will float to the top of your tea). Cut it into 2-inch chunks and take it for a spin in the food processor until it forms a coarse paste (see image below). Pulsing instead of whirling the machine nonstop will prevent the ginger from sticking to the blades. If you don’t have a food processor, use the largest holes of a box grater or chop it with a knife.

Scrape the ground ginger (juice and all) into the jar and pour in just enough honey to barely cover it. The amount of honey depends on how much ginger you have. If you’re the kind of person who likes the pungent heat of ginger, add less honey. Stir the mixture with a spoon.

Scoop a tablespoon into hot water, adding more or less depending on how gingery or sweet you like it. I love the heat from the fiery ginger (plus it’s delicious), so I don’t strain it out before drinking, but I do for my kids.

Once made, this elixir can hang out in your freezer for months. Because of the honey, it will never freeze solid, so you can scoop out what you need anytime you feel a tickle in your throat or a chill in your bones.

Tip for Buying Fresh Ginger

Be the annoying person at the grocery store who touches 99 percent of the bunch (don’t worry, they won’t get bruised or ruined) to find the plumpest, smoothest knob of ginger with the least number of “branches.” It should feel very firm and without any blemishes or soft spots. Don’t buy ginger that looks wrinkly and sad—it’ll taste wrinkly and sad, and it’ll be almost impossible to chop.