Spiced Tea with Lemon (Printable)
A comforting blend of spices and lemon, ideal for chilly afternoons or cozy evenings.
# What You Need:
→ Spices
01 - 2 cinnamon sticks
02 - 4 whole cloves
03 - 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
04 - 1 small piece fresh ginger (about 0.8 inch), thinly sliced
→ Tea
05 - 4 cups water
06 - 2 black tea bags or 2 teaspoons loose-leaf black tea
→ Flavorings
07 - 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (optional, to taste)
08 - 1 lemon, thinly sliced
# Directions:
01 - In a medium saucepan, combine water, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods, and ginger. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.
02 - Reduce heat and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes to infuse the spices.
03 - Add the black tea bags or loose-leaf tea, remove from heat, and steep for 3 to 4 minutes according to desired strength.
04 - Strain the infused tea through a fine-mesh strainer into a teapot or heatproof pitcher, discarding the spices and tea leaves.
05 - Stir in honey or maple syrup if desired to enhance sweetness.
06 - Pour the tea into cups and garnish each serving with a thin slice of lemon.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It comes together in 15 minutes but tastes like you've been simmering something all day.
- The spices do most of the work, turning plain tea into something genuinely comforting.
- It's flexible enough to match whatever tea you have on hand or however sweet you're feeling.
02 -
- Crushing the cardamom pods slightly before adding them makes a real difference; they open up and share their flavor instead of staying quiet.
- Don't steep the black tea longer than four minutes or it becomes bitter and fights with the spices instead of dancing with them.
- Adding lemon at the very end prevents it from cooking down into the tea; fresh slices floating on top look better and taste brighter.
03 -
- A pinch of black pepper or extra star anise adds a subtle heat that makes people wonder what they're tasting.
- Fresh ginger makes all the difference; ground ginger tastes flat and one-dimensional by comparison.