If a Jamaican offers you a cup of tea when you are sick, be sure of two things. One, it will make you feel better, and two, it might taste horrible.

That being said, I want to offer you the get-well tea of the flu season.

Ingredients

The will of a bull to actually drink it when it’s done.

2 Cloves of Smashed Garlic

2 tbsp of Chopped Ginger

1 Tbsp of Chopped Tumeric Root

1/2 of a Medium Onion

1 Whole Star Anise

Directions

1. In a large pot, bring three cups of water to boil over medium heat.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and boil for 20 minutes.
3. Once it is done, turn off the fire and let it rest for 5 minutes before straining off the liquid into a container.
4. Sweet to your liking, it can be enjoyed warm or cold.

Note

Let the record show that I did warn you about it.

Also, my mom has been feeding it to us for years now, just remember it’s supposed to be holistic and helpful.

I forgot to mention, you can add a bit of rum or gin if you feel inclined to do so.

---

---

If you want to know more about my work, check out my latest poetry collection.