Lemongrass iced tea is a refreshing herbal tea that helps cool the body, while providing immense health benefits. It is a great alternative really for those who may want to take a break from iced sugary drinks or powdered teas that appeal to most during the summer season.
I have been brewing this tea for the last five years or so simply because like a popular brand of ready-to-drink iced tea, it is cool and clean! The huge difference though lies in the nutrients, the cost, and the all-natural ingredients used in preparing it.
For one you will only need lemongrass or tanglad, plus your choice of sweetener. So if you already have brown sugar, or honey, or coco sugar, or muscovado, or stevia (sorry, OA list), and then you have lemongrass in your backyard then you in essence have a free lifetime supply of this iced tea!
But even if you don’t have tanglad at home, this herbal iced concoction is still super affordable! You can buy two stalks in the grocery for less than P10.00, im sure it is cheaper in the Palengke.
Going back to the health benefits, it will be great to note that it is one of the most beneficial herbal teas that are native to our country. It is said to help in preventing cancer, helps control blood sugar and cholesterol levels, calms the nerves and helps relieve anxiety, helps detoxify the body, improves digestion, relieves menstrual pain, and some even say it can help in losing weight.
(Source: webmd.com, healthline.com, and curejoy.com).
Caution though for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Experts say pregnant women should refrain from drinking lemongrass tea since it stimulates menstrual flow. There are also some studies that say that persons with liver issues should refrain from taking lemongrass by-products because it may affect liver tests.
So for those who have the green light to enjoy this oh so refreshing drink, let us now learn to prepare this drink. So how do you make an iced tea out of lemongrass or tanglad?
How to Make Lemongrass Iced Tea
You do not need super fresh lemongrass to make this iced tea. If your lemongrass kind of dried a bit in the ref, it is still fine to brew.
Decide as well if you will use a sweetener for your lemongrass iced tea. You can use whatever sweetener you fancy (even a DIY brown sugar syrup), but for this recipe I reco either brown sugar simple syrup or pure honey. Start with half a tablespoon until you reach your desired sweetness.
In this recipe I used three stalks of lemongrass, and i was able to make about 4 1/2 cups of iced tea.
Procedure in making lemongrass tea:
1. Cut leaves into two-three inch length. Remove the outer part of the stalks and just use the inner portion.
2. Wash the lemongrass.
3. Boil 4 1/2 cups of water.
4. Add the leaves as soon as the water boils, and let the tea brew for five minutes.
5. Let it cool.
6. Once the iced tea is in room temperature, add choice of sweetener, stir and add ice cubes.
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Here’s a video on how to cultivate lemongrass tea:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYANsVnX_xE
http://happypinaymommy.com/2018/04/08/how-to-cook-nagmamantikang-bicol-express/
