Cinnamon Spice Tea

Prep: 3 minutes / Cooking: 15 minutes / Yield: 6 servings

Cinnamon is slightly spicy, warming, and used widely in China and India to aid digestion after meals or take the chill off a cold day. Licorice root sweetens the pot, soothes and tonifies the digestive organs, and helps regulate blood sugar levels.

Note: Do not use more licorice than called for. Too much licorice can cause heartburn, burping, gas, or bloating.

FYI: Licorice root powder, tea bags, or dried and coarsely chopped pieces can be found in the bulk herb and spice section of natural foods stores, in Asian markets, and in specialty herb shops. The powder can be added to a cup of tea as a sweetener, in place of stevia. The tea bags may be steeped in hot water. The coarse bits must be simmered for at least 15 minutes to release their flavor.

Ingredients

1½ teaspoons dried licorice root (bits) or 2 licorice root tea bags or ¼ teaspoon powder
2 to 3 cinnamon sticks
2 to 3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
3 to 4 cardamom pods, crushed with a knife or in a mortar, optional
teaspoon ground black pepper, optional
6 cups filtered water

Directions

Do not use a metal pot, which can interact with the herbs. Combine all ingredients in a Chinese clay pot, sold in Asian markets, or glass or ceramic teapot or saucepan.
Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat. Strain and serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers. Reheat, and use within 4 days.

Variation

Cinnamon Tea: Here is a variation from India. Combine 5 (2-inch long) cinnamon sticks with 6 cups water. Cover, bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes until tea is a lovely shade of rust and cinnamon twigs unravel. Strain and serve warm or chilled, with or without a tiny pinch of stevia extract (powder or liquid) or licorice root powder per cup.

Reprinted with permission from The Ice Dream Cookbook by Rachel Albert-Matesz (Planetary Press, 2008).

Check out other Rachel Albert recipes:

Baked Fish Fillets with Practically Paleo Pesto

Twice Cooked Greens with Onions and Celery

Practically Paleo Pesto

Creamy Carrot Soup with Ginger