In traditional Chinese medicine, cinnamon is a cure for phlegmy coughs, and I can testify that it works. Brewing up fresh cinnamon stick tea always gives me relief, and its spicy-sweet flavor is delicious, too.
Yes, I know you can brew cinnamon tea from store-bought bags, but the flavor is not as powerfully good as fresh-brewed from sticks. AND there's an added benefit to brewing from sticks...
Fresh brewing cinnamon tea from sticks fills the house with the fragrance of cinnamon, a scent you can't get from brewing quickly in bags. And the scent of cinnamon has been linked to improving cognitive brain functions (attention span, recognition memory, response speed, and working memory).
Finally, cinnamon itself is packed with health benefits. Among other things, it's a potent antibacterial agent (great for that sore throat) and it has an anti-inflammatory effect, too, partly thanks to cinnamaldehyde (a substance found in the spice). One recent study showed that cinnamon can reduce inflammation and muscle soreness.
Boost Your Brain with
the Scent of Cinnamon
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Finally, cinnamon itself is packed with health benefits. Among other things, it's a potent antibacterial agent (great for that sore throat) and it has an anti-inflammatory effect, too, partly thanks to cinnamaldehyde (a substance found in the spice). One recent study showed that cinnamon can reduce inflammation and muscle soreness.
So let's get that water on and start our tea brewing. To continue reading this post with tips on choosing your cinnamon, scroll down, click here, or on the "Read more" link below...
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As always, the quality of your results depends on the quality of your ingredients. Now I've made cinnamon tea from the less expensive Cassia cinnamon sticks, which are the most common found in grocery stores, and I've enjoyed the results. But if you want a better quality tea, try the better quality Ceylon cinnamon sticks.
FYI - I get my Ceylon cinnamon from Nuts.com, click here to see the product page. One pound or 64 three-inch sticks cost around $18.00 plus a small fee for shipping, which, for me, breaks down to less than 50 cents per stick.
Cleo's Cinnamon Stick Tea
FYI - I get my Ceylon cinnamon from Nuts.com, click here to see the product page. One pound or 64 three-inch sticks cost around $18.00 plus a small fee for shipping, which, for me, breaks down to less than 50 cents per stick.
To download this recipe in
a free PDF document that you
can print, save, or share, click here.
a free PDF document that you
can print, save, or share, click here.
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| Click here for free recipe PDF. |
Makes 2 six-ounce cups of tea
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups of water
*2-3 cinnamon sticks (see my note below on types of cinnamon)
*2-3 cinnamon sticks (see my note below on types of cinnamon)
1 teaspoon raw, local honey (optional)
1 small orange (optional)
1 small orange (optional)
Directions: Place 2-1/2 cups of water into a saucepan with 2 or 3 cinnamon sticks (see my note below to help choose the amount). Bring water to a boil and turn heat down to a low boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the cinnamon sticks to continue steeping in the water for a final 10 minutes. Strain into a tea cup and enjoy!
*Note on types of cinnamon: The amount of cinnamon sticks you'll want to use for this recipe will vary, depending on the kind of cinnamon sticks you're using, as well as their freshness. Let's start with...
Cassia cinnamon (aka "Chinese cinnamon) sticks are the most common type found in grocery stores. These are hard sticks with a single layer of curl. Because of their hardness, I suggest using 3 Cassia cinnamon sticks to make this tea, rather than 2. Their time on store shelves also tends to make them less potent so that 3rd stick is usually needed to make a good cinnamon tea.
Ceylon cinnamon sticks are softer and also of higher quality and potency. You can recognize them by their many layers. Because they are primarily sold by spice merchants at a higher price point, they tend to be fresher and more powerful. AND they truly do have amazing flavor, well worth the price! I suggest using 2 Ceylon cinnamon sticks for this recipe.
*Note on types of cinnamon: The amount of cinnamon sticks you'll want to use for this recipe will vary, depending on the kind of cinnamon sticks you're using, as well as their freshness. Let's start with...
Ceylon cinnamon sticks are softer and also of higher quality and potency. You can recognize them by their many layers. Because they are primarily sold by spice merchants at a higher price point, they tend to be fresher and more powerful. AND they truly do have amazing flavor, well worth the price! I suggest using 2 Ceylon cinnamon sticks for this recipe.
Cleo’s Cinnamon-Orange Tea with Honey
After straining the cinnamon stick tea into your tea cup, stir in 1 teaspoon of raw, local honey until dissolved. Squeeze the juice of one orange wedge into the cup. Garnish by placing one cinnamon stick into the cup. If you like, slice a thin round of orange and slide it onto the tea cup's rim. Serve warm and drink with joy!
☕
Eat (and read) with joy!
~ Cleo Coyle
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of Philip Marlowe, and she is a genteel
Miss Marple; yet the two opposites
make an explosive combination..."
—Midwest Book Review