Last year a friend came to visit me at a pretty little beach shack by the water.

The first thing she did when she arrived was forage in the garden, plucking strange plants and telling me their names (which I promptly forgot). Then she brought them inside and made various concoctions. It was all very educational, even if I was a slow student.

However, it got me thinking about how often I am using packaged, dried and processed teas when I could be using the products of my own garden or pantry for greater effect.

I first came across a version of this fresh tea at an organic tea house, and have been making and tweaking it ever since. This recipe is my favourite incarnation as it balances nurturing with energising, both of which I crave daily.

I cannot overstate how much I love this tea. It is sooooo good.

It is a gentle, healthy wake up—calming and soothing chamomile balanced with zingy ginger and lemongrass. It is great for upset or sore tummies too!

And super easy to make.

Ingredients:

1 thumb sized piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped
1 thumb sized piece lemongrass, chopped fine
Small handful fresh mint leaves
1 qtr fresh organic lemon

Add all of these to a tall heatproof glass or large mug.

Pour over organic chamomile tea to fill (70 degrees celsius—160 fahrenheit—is perfect temperature). Infuse for five minutes.

Sip at your leisure and enjoy crunching the ginger for an extra zingy wakeup!

Relephant:

I Drank Warm Honey Lemon Water Every Morning for a Year (Here’s What Happened).

Author: Crystal Davis 

Editor: Travis May

Photo: Courtesy of author