I love my black tea. I especially love my English Breakfast tea with sugar. My husband claims that I drink tea with my sugar. Yeah, in other words it has to be pretty sweet for me to drink it. Because I’ve never been a fan of green or herbal teas, I was surprised to find myself in love with lemongrass tea earlier this year.
It was nearly 5 years ago when we happened upon a lemongrass plant (Cymbopogon citratus) at a local nursery. My husband really enjoyed Thai food and cooking so we thought we might grow it in case we wanted to add it to one of our dishes.
I’m embarrassed to say that we actually forgot that we had planted it. It was tucked away in the side yard in between two irises that had similar leaves. When we did rediscover it, we were a bit afraid to use it because we weren’t 100% that it really was lemongrass.and we weren’t sure how to use it.
Health Benefits of Lemongrass Tea
One day my daughter was home sick when a friend of mine stopped by. Mirella grew up in a very rural area of Mexico where the only medicine was from plants. She mentioned that I should make my daughter lemongrass tea because it was good for stomach aches as well as headaches.
I told her that I might have lemongrass in the garden but I wasn’t sure. Mirella saw the long sharp serrated edges of the leaf and smelled it and immediately identified it as lemongrass. She pulled off two long leaves and rinsed them in the sink. Then she folded them and tied it so that it sat in the cup without coming apart. We poured hot water over the lemongrass and when it was cool enough for my daughter, we gave it to her. My daughter really liked it and she claimed it helped her headache and stomach ache.
In researching lemongrass on the Internet to see what other health benefits and nutrients it might contain, I was surprised to learn that it high it was in Iron, Foliate, Potassium, Zinc and Manganese. Actually it is off the chart for Manganese with just one cup of lemongrass giving you 175% of your daily-recommended intake. We’re not eating 1 cup of lemongrass when steeping a few leaves but still that is pretty good.
Lemongrass Tea – Hot or Cold
My kids, my husband and I are addicted to lemongrass tea. It is great hot or even cold. I’ve also gotten at least a dozen friends addicted to it and a few of those ladies claimed that they didn’t usually like herbal teas.
I’m shocked that I LOVE it and I love it without any additional sugar. It has a lovely smell which is a bit citrusy and it has a special sweetness to it. It is delicious.
My friend, Diana, practically begs for it every time she comes by. She said it just makes her feel good. I have a feeling she is depleted in some nutrient that the lemongrass satisfies.
Where Can I Find Lemongrass Tea?
If you don’t happen to have lemongrass in your garden you can buy it by the pound or in teabags. You can use it fresh or dried. It is simple, put some in a cup and steep it. It is ok to keep the lemongrass in it or if you prefer, take it out.
I find lemongrass to be a great present to give. If you don’t currently grow it, you can order it online by the pound or even in tea bags. SInce most of your family and friends probably have not tried it before it makes a nice gift as they wouldn’t have thought to buy it for themselves.
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