Fresh Ginger Root Tea
Updated: October 12, 2026, By Swasthi Shreekanth
This Fresh Ginger Root Tea is the way my Mom and Grandmother made in their kitchens using fresh root & panty staples. Years later, without any argument I used their wisdom and recipe to make this for my family. My ginger root tea is caffeine-free and makes for a warming & relaxing drink which even my toddlers enjoyed.
I know there are many ways to make ginger tea from across the world and in the simplest form it is just ginger steeped in hot water. Growing up, this tea was a winter soothing staple and my Mom always said it would keep us warm & comforting all day long.
About Fresh Ginger Root Tea
To make the basic or the classic Ginger Root Tea, you need only fresh ginger and water. But adding other ingredients like lemon, honey and cinnamon will tone down the heat & pungent flavors, making it more palatable.
Traditionally to make fresh ginger tea, my Mom always crushed the root using a stone mortar pestle and then simmered with water. Somtimes I do the same but most often grate or fine chop to my convenience.
There are 2 kinds of ginger available in the markets – Hybrid and non-hybrid/ non-gmo. The hybrid roots are larger & thicker but less bitter and less pungent, while the non-hybrid is small and have more concentrated gingery, bitter flavors.
I avoid the second kind for my boys because that is too strong for them. But for a more traditional, bolder, pungent flavor and heat I use the non-hybrid/ non-gmo kind for myself. If you are new to fresh ginger tea, start with the milder one & switch from there.
Photo Guide
How to make Fresh Ginger Root Tea (stepwise photos)
1. Wash ginger well under running water. If you want you may peel to prevent bitter taste. You will require 5 grams of ginger per serving, about 1 * ½ inch piece. Peel only the amount you require & either grate or chop it. I personally prefer to grate it as it reduces the steep time.
3. Bring 1 cup water to a rolling boil. Add the ginger. I used 2 cups water and 10 grams ginger here.
4. Cover to trap the flavors and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. If using chopped or sliced ginger boil for 5 to 6 mins.
5. When the tea is ready you will see the color changes to light yellow.
6. Strain and press down the ginger with a spoon to extract all of the flavor.
Squeeze in lemon juice and stir well. If you want to use honey, cool down slightly and then stir a tsp of honey.
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Recipe Card
Fresh Ginger Root Tea Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 grams fresh ginger root (1 teaspoon grated/ chopped or 1 * ½ inch)
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or lime juice, orange, calamansi or grapefruit juice)
- 1 teaspoon honey
Method
- Bring water to a boil and add chopped ginger. Cover and simmer for 3 to 4 mins. It turns light yellow when it is ready.
- Turn off the stove and strain to a serving cup. Press down with a spoon to extract most of the ginger flavor. Stir in lemon juice & honey if you want. Best served warm.
Notes
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger per serving makes a strong tea. You may reduce it if you can’t handle spicy drinks. Or simply dilute with more hot water. This will reduce the strength.
- The non-hybrid variety of ginger is spicer, pungent and bitter. Use less in that case.
- Fresh tea tastes best. But it can prepared and left at room temperature for 5 to 6 hours and reheated.
- You can also refrigerate for 1 to 2 days and reheat.
- If using orange juice, I generally warm it up a little before stirring it to the hot tea.
Private Notes
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I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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Comments
Very helpful tips. Will try them.
Thank you.
My Mom always tells me not to infuse hot drinks with fruits because there is a loss of vitamins. This recipe sounds perfect and I am going to try it soon.
Hi Jewel,
Only a small amount of vitamins are lost that way but it is still okay to infuse for deeper flavors. Hope you like this ginger tea.
Swasthi,
What is the best way to store ginger? Sand or freezer? I have been making ginger tea regularly this winter but don’t know what is the best way to store it. TIA
Hi Ria,
I store it in the refrigerator for 2 weeks without any problem. If you want to store beyond that, you can wash, peel (optional) & chop the ginger to smaller portions and freeze. Store them in smaller bags so it is easier to thaw only the required portions. This can be chopped/minced or grated easily. Hope this helps
I also add mandarin peels and black pepper while simmering the ginger tea. Wow! It smells amazing
Yes that’s a great way to use up the peels and you can also squeeze the mandarin into your tea. Thank you Shweta
Do you really peel the ginger? IMO It is not required since you are going to strain the tea
You may keep the peel if you want. But a lot of times it tastes bitter. Your Ginger tea tastes better without the peels.
An Indian friend gifted me holy basil seeds to plant. They have grown up well and doing lovely now. I make ginger tea the same way as this recipe but adding cinnamon and holy basil was a great change. The aroma it great. Thank you
Glad you like the flavors Kim. Yes holy basil is so good in ginger tea. Thanks for letting us know how it turned out.
So for kids would the piece of ginger be 2.5 oz?
It depends on the age. Start with 1/4 teaspoon grated ginger steeped in 1 cup water. Once they get used to the flavor you may increase it. Alternately you may make the recipe as is and dilute 1/4 cup tea with 3/4 cup warm water.
Very good recipe with clear instructions. Thanks
Glad you like it Niki
Thank you
I made this exactly with honey cinnamon and lemon. Tasted a lot better than what I had made before. No bitter taste. My grandmother made this always for us during the monsoon. But she uses dried ginger and pepper. Thank you for the recipe.
Thanks for trying Veda. Yes a lot of people use dried ginger.
This was surprisingly soothing though not delicious. Read elsewhere about ginger’s fat bursting abilities. A friend at work sent me this recipe. Gave this a try and today is the third day. I am only 5’4” and weigh 190 pounds. Ginger tea gives me a ray of hope. Thank you.
Yes Carol you are right, it’s soothing!! Hope it works well for you.
Thank you! This is my favorite tea now.
Thanks for trying Beth