Remedy

Lemongrass & Ginger Tea

A bright, citrus-scented cup warmed with a little ginger — a caffeine-free daily ritual rather than a remedy.

By PranaJiva

Editorial Team

Form
Tea or drink
Preparation
10 minutes
Makes
2 cups
Best time
Morning, Evening
Suits
Vata, Kapha
Lemongrass & Ginger Tea

What you need

  • 2¼ cups Water
  • 1 stalk Tender lemongrass (washed and bruised, or 1 tbsp chopped)
  • ½ inch Fresh ginger (thinly sliced)
  • 1 tsp per cup Honey (stirred in only once the tea has cooled to warm, optional)

How to make it

  1. Rinse the lemongrass and bruise the stalk along its length so it opens up. Slice the ginger thinly.

    2 minutes

  2. Bring the water to a boil and add both.

    1 minute

  3. Simmer gently, covered.

    5 minutes

  4. Turn off the heat and leave it to steep.

    2 minutes

  5. Strain. If you are using honey, wait until the cup is warm rather than hot before stirring it in.

How much, and how often

One cup, whenever you want it. This is an aromatic beverage and there is no medicinal dose attached to it.

Best taken: Morning, Evening

When to expect a change: The citrus smell and the warmth arrive with the first sip. Nothing else is being promised — in particular, this is not a treatment for a cold or an infection.

Why it works

What this is, and what it is not

Ginger is described in the Ayurvedic texts as warming and drying, under the names shunthi when dried and ardraka when fresh, and that description is a fair guide to how the cup feels. Lemongrass is not part of that tradition in the same way — it is a South and Southeast Asian kitchen herb that brings a clean citrus note, and the pairing here is a modern one.

Which is worth saying plainly, because lemongrass-and-ginger is sold almost everywhere as a cold remedy. It is not a classical formula and it has not been shown to shorten or prevent anything. Bruising the stalk rather than chopping it is the one technique that matters: the aromatic oils sit in the fibres, and a cut stalk releases far less of them.

Before you try this

Do not use if

  • You are allergic to lemongrass or to ginger

Take care

  • Ginger makes heartburn worse for some people. Use less of it, or leave it out, if that is you.
  • Talk to your doctor about concentrated ginger if you take blood-thinning or anti-platelet medication, or if you have surgery coming up.
  • Honey goes into warm liquid, never boiling — and never for a child under one year old.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding & children
Concentrated lemongrass infusions are not recommended in pregnancy or while breastfeeding without medical advice. Honey must never be given to a child under one year old.
How long is too long
Fine as an everyday drink. A cold or a cough that keeps going needs assessing on its own terms, and this does not bear on that either way.

This is traditional Ayurvedic guidance shared for general wellbeing. It is not a diagnosis and not a substitute for medical advice. If a symptom is severe, persistent or worsening, or you are pregnant, taking prescribed medicine or managing a diagnosed condition, speak to a qualified doctor before trying it.

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