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Ginger tea warmths the sick and dreary body and livens tired bones. It is popular among the older Chinese folk and those who believe in traditional boiled medicines and is easy to brew in a crockpot or slow cooker.

I was coming down with a cold last week, fueled by the late monsoon rains. Being the last week of the School Term, I decided to go for a full-body Javanese massage. The receptionist suggested a ginger oil and hot ginger treatment.

My regular masseuse gave me a great massage with the ginger oil, then put warm shredded ginger on parts of my back and limbs, wrapped the ginger shreds around me using thick towels and left me to sleep and soak in the goodness for half an hour.

After the treatment, I had a cup of hot ginger tea to sip up. Needless to say, the rheumatoid aches and stuffed nose left me.

My masseuse who had prepared the ginger shreds and tea, shared with me this simple recipe during the massage.

Gula melaka is brown sugar made from coconut sap, sago palm sap or sugar cane juice. It is used in place of refined white sugar to give the coconut,sago or cane sugar sweet smell. It compliments the hot tangy taste of the ginger tea.

Ingredients:

Aged ginger 0.5 kilogram
Boiling water 1 litre
Gula melaka 0.2 kilogram

1. Soak the ginger in warm water to dislodge any bits of soil.
2. Scrub the ginger clean.
3. Soak the ginger in warm water and rinse off.
4. Boil 1 litre of water and pour it into a crockpot or slow cooker.
5. Place the scrubbed ginger in the crockpot or slow cooker. Make sure the ginger is submerged in the boiled water.
6. Leave the ginger to slow boil at medium heat overnight.
7. Turn the heat to high and when at a boil, add the gula melaka.
8. Lower the heat to medium or low to keep the ginger tea hot.
9. Pour the hot ginger tea through a fine sieve when ready to serve.

When the weather turns cold and the chill eats into your bones, give this simple and humble ginger tea a chance to work its magical wonders on you.

Learn more about this author, Lokemun Magar.
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