You may have heard the slogan “You’ve tried the rest; now try the best.” That’s the way I feel about this tea recipe. It was developed ages ago by the fantastic folk at the Commonweal Cancer Help Program, a renowned retreat for patients and caregivers, and they’ve been very kind in allowing me to share their recipe with you. When I am cooking at Commonweal, I often make about six quarts a day so I’ll have some on hand for anyone who comes through the door, and still, it’s never enough. The blend of ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom is like a backrub in a cup. It turns me into absolute mush, it’s so good.

　　

Ingredients

makes 8 cups

　　1/3 cup sliced peeled fresh ginger, cut 1/4 inch thick

　　10 cups water

　　3 tablespoons coriander seeds

　　1 1/2 tablespoons cardamom pods

　　4 cinnamon sticks

　　5 whole cloves

　　1 1/2 cups rice milk or almond milk

　　1 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup

　　1 teaspoon vanilla extract

　　

Step 1

Combine the ginger and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Add the coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves and continue to simmer for an additional 20 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Strain the tea through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan. (I recommend that you save the spices; see Rebecca’s Notes.) Add the rice milk and maple syrup and gently reheat without boiling for 2 to 3 minutes, until warm. Stir in the vanilla, then taste. Add more milk or sweetener if you like. Serve hot or cold.

　　

rebecca’s notes

Step 4

The tea will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks without the milk and sweetener, so you may want to set some aside prior to adding the milk and sweetener.

　　

Step 5

Recycle the spices that are strained out of the tea and use them to make another, smaller batch of tea. They’ll keep in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. To make more tea, combine the spices and 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of peeled fresh ginger slices. Simmer for 30 minutes, then strain the tea and discard the spices. Add sweetener and milk to taste and reheat without boiling for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla before serving.

　　

storage

Step 6

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week.

　　

nutrition information

Step 7

(per serving)

　　

Step 8

Calories: 40

　　

Step 9

Total Fat: 0.9g (0g saturated, 0.6g monounsaturated)

　　

Step 10

Carbohydrates: 8g

　　

Step 11

Protein: 0g

　　

Step 12

Fiber: 1g

　　

Step 13

Sodium: 15mg

　　Excerpted from The Cancer Fighting Kitchen, copyright 2017 by Rebecca Katz and Met Edelson. Published with permission by Ten Speed Press.