Ginger Tea- Filipino Salabat with Lemon Honey

If we so much as squeaked during practice, our music teacher compelled us to drink a cup of Ginger Tea- Filipino Salabat before any choir performance when we were in high school. This ginger tea, brewed slowly and with hints of citrusy calamansi, the Filipino lime was not just the cure-all for all colds, coughs, upset stomachs, nausea or other ailments. It was also good for our vocal chords, according to Sister Consuelo, our music teacher. If we sang badly during music practice, she reminded us to “go ask your mother to make you ‘salabat’” when we got home from school. Whether it was from the boost of a spicy hot drink, or the mellow effects of citrus combined with sugary sweetness, this was the drink that healed our spirits, and warmed our souls. The Salabat was and is a cure-all that never fails.

A piping-hot cup of Salabat is perfect if you are suffering from a sore throat, the flu or an upper respiratory infection. Simply take a few slices of fresh ginger, pour water over it in a pot and boil. Let it steep a few minutes so the bold, spicy flavor can spike the brew. Add the lemon and sweeten it with brown sugar. In my case, it was a nice surprise to receive a box of goodies from my Honey Ridge Farms friends with my favorite honey – the Lemon Honey Crème.

Since I live on the east coast, it is pricey and difficult to get my hands on fresh calamansi, the Filipino lime. So, I substitute with fresh lemons. In place of regular lemon and honey, I scooped a few spoonfuls from the wide jar of the Lemon Honey Crème, and mixed the thick, heavy honey into the warm ginger brew.

So, on this cold winter day, I sipped a cup of hot, steaming Salabat, the Filipino ginger tea. I let the bold, spicy flavor soothe my throat. I let it all settle in my system, inhaled the sweet-spicy gingery aromas from the steam in my cup. I felt better and refreshed already.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Ginger Tea - Filipino Salabat with Lemon Honey

The Salabat is the traditional Filipino ginger tea, made from fresh ginger slices. This is known to be a cure-all for sore throats, coughs, colds, upset stomachs or just about any ailment. The combination of a fresh ginger brew, honey and lemon have the most amazing curative effects when taken regularly. In Manila, I used to flavor my cup of Salabat with calamansi, the Filipino lime. While living in America, I’ve  learned to substitute the citrusy flavor with lemon. My friends at Honey Ridge Farms sent me artisan honey products, so I added Lemon Honey Crème to my piping-hot ginger tea. Use regular honey if preferred. This was inspired by a recipe from the cookbook Memories of Philippine Kitchens by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan. Makes 2 (6 oz.) cups.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time8 minutes mins

Total Time18 minutes mins

Course: Beverages, Drinks

Cuisine: American, Asian, Filipino

Keyword: Salabat Filipino Ginger Tea Honey

Servings: 2

Calories: 19kcal

Author: Asian in America

Equipment

• Medium-sized Stock Pot: 6 or 8 quarts

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh ginger peeled, sliced in 1-inch thin slices
• 1 whole fresh lemon washed, seeded, sliced
• 1/2 large fresh apple peeled, cored, seeded and sliced (red delicious or Fuji or any sweet variety)
• 2 Tablespoons Honey Ridge Farms Lemon Honey Creme or use any kind of honey
• 3 cups water to boil

Instructions

• Place the ginger, lemon and apple slices in a medium-sized stockpot.
• Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.Reduce the heat and simmer for about 8 minutes. You will smell the gingery aroma from the brew and see the tea turn to a darker color
• If desired, press the fruits through a large sieve and add the liquid to the ginger tea. Pour the tea in a large teapot. Serve with a few tablespoons of honey. 

Substitution

• If honey is not available, the traditional ingredient to sweeten this ginger tea is brown sugar. Add about 2 tablespoons brown sugar to the pot and let it boil with the ginger 

Disclosure

• Full Disclosure: I was not compensated to mention this brand. It was a gift from the manufacturer and I highly recommend this product for this recipe or any one that needs a honey ingredient.HONEY RIDGE FARMS are gourmet Grade-A honey-based products made in the most responsible manner.These are the best pure, artisan, locally sourced honey products. For more about the 5 Generations of Honey Sweetness, and where to buy Honey Ridge Farms Honey Products, see www.honeyridgefarms.com 

Copyright Notice

• Hello, Friends! All the images and content on this blog are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED and owned by my media company Besa-Quirino LLC. This means BY LAW you are NOT allowed to copy, scrape, lift, frame, plagiarize or use my photos and recipe content I wrote, on your website,books, films, television shows or videos without my permission. If you want to republish this recipe or content on another website, video, news article,or media outlets mentioned above please ASK my permission, re-write it in your own words and simply link back to this blog to give proper attribution. It’s the legal thing to do. Thank you. Email me at [email protected]: As a participant in the Amazon Affiliate program, some blog posts contain links to products used in the recipe and sold on Amazon. The price stays the same for the readers who wish to purchase these products on my links. I earn a small commission from Amazon which helps maintain the blog expenses. Thanks in advance for your support.

Nutrition

Calories: 19kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Iron: 1mg

Notes on Nutrition: The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.

Did you like this recipe?I have more Filipino Instant Pot recipes in my newest cookbook Instant Filipino Recipes: My Mother’s Traditional Philippine Cooking in A Multicooker Pot by Elizabeth Ann Besa-Quirino. I also have more classic recipes inspired by my mother’s cooking in my popular cookbook: My Mother’s Philippine Recipes. If you’re learning how to cook Filipino food or a fan of Philippine cuisine, buy my cookbooks and books on Amazon.com sold worldwide in paperback and Kindle format.

Copyright Notice: Hello, Friends! Please DO NOT LIFT OR PLAGIARIZE my original recipe, stories, photos or videos. All the images and content on this blog are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED and owned by my media company Besa-Quirino LLC. This means BY LAW you are NOT allowed to copy, scrape, lift, frame, plagiarize or use my photos, essays, stories and recipe content on your websites, books, films, television shows, videos, without my permission. If you wish to republish this recipe or content on media outlets mentioned above, please ASK MY PERMISSION, or re-write it in your own words and link back to my blog AsianInAmericaMag.com to give proper attribution. It is the legal thing to do. Thank you. Email me at [email protected]