Thai Lemongrass Tea




Thai lemongrass tea: calming and having numerous health benefits

 

What’s so special about Thai lemongrass? The aroma of freshly crushed lemongrass and its lemony taste, minus the sourness of a lemon, drive even a non-Thai like me crazy over this wonderful ingredient! Everything is so appetising about lemongrass! Lemongrass calms the mind and relaxes the senses, making it a popular ingredient in herbal spa treatments as well.

For those readers who are new to lemongrass, this is how it looks like:




I spotted bundles of fresh lemongrass in a wet market in Tsing Yi. Buy lemongrass from local shops, which are always cheaper and more in quantity than those available in food superstores in Hong Kong.

 

If you read my blog often, you would definitely know by now that I am a fan of Thai food. Be it the popular tom yum goong soup (with prawns) or the herbal Thai roselle tea! Thai teas are popular for their amazing health benefits. Although I am an Indian, I have tremendous faith in Chinese and Thai herbal teas.  These teas are a part of my family’s lifestyle now.

There are a huge variety of Thai tea ingredients available in supermarkets and Chinese or Thai superstores worldwide. My advice to you is to adopt one of these in your daily routine and make a difference to your loved one’s overall well-being! With Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year just round the corner, gifting a pack of exotic Thai tea is a superb idea!

This wonder herb called lemongrass has been used in South-Asian cooking since a long time. I have discussed about this wonderful ingredient in the past as well. For those, who missed it, click here for more.

Top reasons to drink lemongrass tea

·         Research has now proved that lemongrass has antibacterial and antifungal properties, so it helps to fight against bacterial and fungal infections.

·         In Thai households, hot lemongrass tea with ginger is a common home remedy to combat cough and cold. Who needs antibiotics and other medicines with side-effects, if you can cure common ailments naturally!

·         It has a calming effect on the body and drinking a cup of warm lemongrass tea before going to bed is very helpful in curing insomnia and in coping up against stress and fatigue. Due to its cooling properties, it is also a great boost for people having fever or for those suffering from high blood pressure.

·         Good news for women! Drinking a cup of hot lemongrass tea helps in easing menstrual cramps and is good as an anti-acne tonic as well!

·         This tea, if taken regularly, is very effective in fighting against cholesterol and in dissolving excess fat from the body.

·         Lemongrass tea helps in cleansing and eliminating toxins from the body and is a natural diuretic. It detoxifies a number of internal organs, such as kidneys, bladder, liver, pancreas and the digestive tract.

Now that I have spoken so much about this “wonder” tea, let me tell you that lemongrass tea is extremely easy to make. The waft of the brewing tea calms the mind after a stressful day out. Make it yourself to believe it!

Thai lemongrass tea

(I do not recommend lemongrass powder for making this tea, since the taste is quite different with the powder, which suits more for making lemongrass marinade instead.)

Ingredients (for 2 cups):

Fresh lemongrass stalks: 2

Crushed ginger: 1-inch piece

Rock sugar: 2 tsp (or according to taste)

Water: 2.5 cups

Method:

In a pot, boil crushed lemongrass with all other ingredients for about 5 min, with lid on. Switch off the gas and give this tea a standing time of 5–7 min. Open the lid and strain the tea. Enjoy in hot or cold.

On a different note, Michael Johnson, an Editor at Pocket Change, a blogging network, has been kind enough to award Cosmopolitan Currymania with a beautiful e-award (displayed under the “Awards” section at the right side of this blog). This is what Michael wrote in his e-mail: “I just found your Cosmopolitan Currymania blog and you have a really great food site! I like that you showcase so many different dishes. You have great photography and your recipes are easy to follow. I thought your site was particularly exceptional. I wanted to give you a button for your site for being an “Editor’s Choice”.

I am so honoured, Michael, to receive an award from you and Pocket Change!