With lemongrass you can prepare a delicious herbal tea, pleasantly citrusy and with a relaxing effect. Technically one could dispute the fact that it is a herbal tea since it is prepared with the stems and not with the leaves of the lemongrass plant, but the fact remains that it is a fabulous natural drink. Lemongrass tea is easy to make and can be drunk both hot and cold.
Ingrediants
- 1 l of water
- 150 g of lemongrass stalks
- 50 g of sugar (optional)
- Milk, cream, honey, ginger and lime (optional)
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Prepare the herbal tea
Step 1. Cut 150g of lemongrass stems or leaves
Poke the lemongrass stalks with the flat side of the knife to crush them and release their scented oils, then slice them coarsely. Try to cut them into pieces that are about an inch long.
- If you have a lemongrass plant in your garden, you can also use the leaves to make herbal tea, without having to mash them with a knife.
- Slice the lemongrass on the cutting board to avoid damaging the knife blade or the kitchen counter.
- You can find lemongrass stalks of different sizes at the supermarket, so use their weight as a reference measure when making herbal tea.
Step 2. Boil a liter of water
Pour it into a large pot to prevent it from boiling over. Turn on the stove over high heat and wait for the water to boil.
Once the stove is lit, do not touch the water or the pot with your bare hands to avoid burning yourself
Step 3. Boil the lemongrass
When the water starts boiling briskly, it's time to infuse the lemongrass. Drop it into the pot carefully to prevent the water from splashing. If necessary, spread it into the water using a long-handled spoon, then let it boil for about 5 minutes.
- Before you pour the lemongrass into the pot, mix the water with a wooden spoon and make sure it doesn't stop boiling, otherwise let it warm up a little longer.
- Bring the container of lemongrass close to the surface of the water before dropping it into the pot to reduce the chance of splashing.
Suggestion:
you can boil water and then pour lemongrass and boiling water into a teapot. Cover the teapot with a cloth or tea towel and let the lemongrass steep for 5-10 minutes or until you can smell it.
Step 4. Filter the herbal tea before serving
After the infusion time, filter the herbal tea to remove the lemongrass stems. Strain it through a sieve or colander as you pour it into a pitcher or container of your choice.
- Lemongrass is edible, but it is fibrous and difficult to chew, so it is best to strain the herbal tea.
- If you prefer, you can filter the herbal tea when you pour it into the cups.
Step 5. Serve the herbal tea immediately if you want to drink it hot
Hot herbal tea is delicious and sipping it on a cold day or in the morning will make you feel invigorated and relaxed. After filtering it, you can drink it as soon as it has cooled down a bit.
If you want you can sweeten it with sugar or honey
Step 6. Put it in the refrigerator if you prefer to drink it cold
If you want to serve the herbal tea cold, put the jug in the refrigerator for about an hour. You can drink it with meals or sip it to cool off on hot summer days.
- If you want, you can sweeten the herbal tea with 50 g of sugar before putting it in the refrigerator.
- Once cold, serve it with ice for the best possible result.
Part 2 of 2: Additions and Variations
Step 1. Add some milk to make the tea slightly creamy
If you are in the habit of adding milk to tea, chances are you will like this variant. With the addition of a little cold milk, the herbal tea will cool down faster and will have a richer and sweeter texture. You can add as many as you like. Start with a tablespoon (15ml) of milk and then evaluate the result.
You can also use cream or a mixture of cream and milk
Step 2. Sweeten the herbal tea with honey
The sweet taste of honey perfectly balances the citrus flavor of lemongrass. A teaspoon is enough to further improve the taste of the herbal tea. Stir until the honey has dissolved completely.
Taste the herbal tea. If it still doesn't feel sweet enough, you can add another teaspoon of honey
Step 3. Enrich the taste of the herbal tea with ginger
If you like the intense, almost spicy taste of ginger, you can boil it in water along with the lemongrass. Cut a piece of root about 2-3 cm long, peel it and immerse it in boiling water along with the lemongrass.
Ginger has a pungent and spicy taste. This variant of lemongrass herbal tea with ginger is indicated for finding relief from sore throat or sinusitis
Step 4. Accentuate the citrusy taste of the herbal tea with lime
Lemongrass has a fresh, citrusy flavor, more delicate than that of lemon or lime. If you want to accentuate the citrus flavor, squeeze a lime wedge and add half a teaspoon of juice directly into the cup. If you wish, you can add more after tasting the herbal tea.
Lime creates a stronger contrast with lemongrass than lemon, which may mask its delicate taste
Suggestion:
you can mix each of these flavors or try other variations by adding new ingredients to taste. For example, you can use ground cinnamon, orange zest, or a couple of drops of an extract of your choice, such as vanilla, coconut, or cherry.
