Lemongrass Ginger Tisane

Before you start

This tisane pairs two aromatics that complement each other: lemongrass, with its lemony, grassy perfume, and ginger, with its peppery warmth. It is lighter and more fragrant than a straight ginger tea, closer in feel to a broth of herbs than to a spicy brew, and it contains no caffeine.

The two ingredients need different treatment. Ginger gives its heat best with a short simmer, while lemongrass holds its brightest oils in the pale lower stalk and loses them if boiled hard for long. So the method simmers the ginger briefly, then adds well-bruised lemongrass and lets everything steep off the heat. Bruising the lemongrass is the step most people skip, and it makes the biggest difference.

Ingredients

• 3 stalks (about 90 g) fresh lemongrass — trimmed to the lower 15 cm (6 in)
• 30 g (a piece about 5 cm / 2 in) fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 1.1 liters (4½ cups) water
• 1 strip lime peel — optional, removed with a peeler
• 15 to 30 ml (1 to 2 tbsp) honey or palm sugar — optional, to taste

Method

1. Peel away the dry, papery outer layer of each lemongrass stalk and cut off the root end. Keep the pale, firm lower section; the green tops can go in too, but they add little flavor.
2. Lay the stalks on a board and bash them firmly along their length with a rolling pin until they split and smell strongly of lemon. Cut them into 5 cm (2 in) pieces.
3. Bring the water and ginger to a boil in the saucepan, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the lemongrass and lime peel, simmer for 2 minutes more, then cover and take the pan off the heat.
5. Steep for 10 minutes. The tisane should be pale straw-colored and intensely aromatic.
6. Strain into mugs and sweeten to taste. Serve hot, or cool and pour over ice.

Tips for success

• Choose lemongrass stalks that feel heavy and firm with a fragrant lower end. Dry, light stalks are old and have lost their oils.
• Freeze trimmed, bruised lemongrass in a bag; it goes straight from the freezer into the pot.
• A strip of lime peel adds a sharper citrus note without the acidity of juice, which can make the tisane taste thin.
• For a stronger cup, steep up to 20 minutes covered. The lid keeps the aromatic oils in the pot.

Substitutions

Fresh lemongrass

Dried lemongrass works at about 2 tablespoons per liter; steep it 10 minutes off the heat. The flavor is softer and slightly hay-like.

Fresh ginger

Galangal gives a piney, more resinous heat that is common in Southeast Asian cooking. Use slightly less, as it is more pungent.

Honey

Palm sugar adds a caramel depth. Leave the tisane unsweetened if you plan to drink it with food.

Variations

Lemongrass ginger with pandan

Add one knotted pandan leaf with the lemongrass for a sweet, vanilla-like aroma.

Iced lemongrass cooler

Chill the strained tisane and serve over ice with a squeeze of lime and a few mint leaves.

Lemongrass green tea

Pour the hot tisane, cooled to about 80°C (176°F), over 4 g green tea and steep 2 minutes. This version contains caffeine.

Troubleshooting

The tisane tastes like plain ginger water

The lemongrass was not bruised or was boiled too long. Crush the stalks thoroughly and add them only for the last few minutes of heat.

It tastes grassy or bitter

Too much of the green top was used or it steeped very long. Use mainly the pale lower stalk.

It is too spicy

Use fewer ginger slices or shorten the simmer to 3 minutes.

Storage

Refrigerate the strained tisane in a covered jar for up to 4 days; serve it cold or reheat gently. Keep fresh lemongrass wrapped in the fridge for about 2 weeks, or frozen for several months.

Safety notes

This tisane contains no caffeine. Do not give honey to children under 1 year old.