It starts with a scent. Not a subtle one—a real warm blast of cinnamon and cloves that takes over the kitchen the moment the water begins to simmer. Five ingredients, one pot, twenty minutes. That’s it.
Ingredients :
- Cinnamon sticks (3 pieces) — Get Ceylon cinnamon if you can—finer, slightly sweeter, with a texture that curls into fragile little tubes you can crumble with your fingertips. Cassia cinnamon, the dark brown version in thick sticks found everywhere in supermarkets, also works; it’s just more powerful. Three sticks, no more—beyond that it starts tasting medicinal.
- Bay leaves (6 leaves) — Bay leaf in tea is surprising. Yet it brings something slightly herbaceous and earthy that balances the sweet spices. Use dry leaves—fresh leaves are too strong and turn bitter. Crumple them slightly between your fingers before putting them in the water.
- Fresh ginger (a small piece) — A piece about the size of a thumb. Peel it with the edge of a spoon—it works better than a knife and you lose less flesh. Cut it into rough slices; no need to mince it fine since you’ll be straining it anyway.
- Cloves (10 pieces) — Ten cloves sounds like a lot. It is if you let them boil on high heat. But at a gentle simmer, they just give a warm and slightly numbing note at the back of the throat. Avoid very old cloves—if they smell like nothing when you open the jar, replace them; they won’t contribute anything.
