Lemongrass Tea – An Unusual Addition To Your Tea Chest!

Lemongrass tea is definitely an out of the ordinary addition to your herbal tea list, but it is really worth looking into as it has many health benefits and also tastes good!

First of all, this herb is actually easy to grow. It originates in Asia where it was first cultivated in India and is a staple in many Asian cuisines, particularly Thai food. You can even grow it in large pots on your balcony or in your garden. It loves warmth and plenty of sunshine. It is easy to grow and you’ll soon find yourself giving away extra lemongrass to family and friends.

The plant itself smells lemony, especially the white part which is near the root of the plant.  You can use it for flavoring all sorts of meals, particularly curries, soups, sauces and stews. The leaves are usually used for tea, but you can use the whole plant – just take away the outer leaves first.

The tea is easy to make:

• Take a stalk of lemongrass and discard the outer leaves as they will give the tea a bitter taste.
• Slice the remainder and put it in a pan.
• For one cup you will need one tablespoon per cup.
• Boil water and pour over the slices and let it infuse for about 5 minutes.
• Strain into cups and enjoy
• This tea has a lovely lemon color and smells heavenly.
• You can drink it hot or leave it to cool and serve it with ice and a slice of lemon.  If you want to sweeten it, please use a natural sweetener like stevia, argave or honey.

Lemongrass has many health benefits which is another reason it is so popular in Asia. First and foremost it is great for any chest congestion like coughs and colds. It is also good for stomach cramps. Studies also give it credence for helping cancer victims as it contains a property called ‘citral’ which helps eradicate cancer cells. Another benefit of this tea is that it’s great for the digestive tract. It’s a good tea to use if you want to do a detox as it helps cleanse internal organs like the liver, kidneys and pancreas. You can also use it externally to treat arthritis pain, sprains, and cuts. It is good for your skin too. Simply wait for the tea to cool and soak a clean cloth in it, wring it out and apply to the area of your body you want to treat.

Altogether, lemongrass tea is a good addition to your herbal teas.