Cleo Coyle Recipes.com: Cinnamon Stick Tea for Your Sore Throat, Cough, and (Yes!) Brain Functions from Cleo Coyle

Cinnamon Stick Tea for Your Sore Throat, Cough, and (Yes!) Brain Functions from Cleo Coyle

Cinnamon is used in traditional Eastern medicines as a treatment for various ailments (more on why below), and I can testify that this cinnamon stick tea helps to alleviate my cold symptoms, specifically my phlegmy cough. Brewing up fresh cinnamon stick tea always makes me happy, 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...

Boost Your Brain with

the Scent of Cinnamon

Find out why below...

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free recipe PDF.

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, studies have shown cinnamon to have many health benefits (source Healthline), including antibacterial properties (great for that sore throat) as well as anti-inflammatory properties, partly thanks to cinnamaldehyde (a substance found in the spice). One study showed that cinnamon may 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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A RECIPE NOTE FROM CLEO

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. What's the difference? I'm happy to tell you...

CASSIA vs. CEYLON Cinnamon Sticks

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 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.

FYI - I buy my Ceylon cinnamon from Nuts.com, click here to see the product page. Good, fresh cinnamon sticks as well as many other tasty products.

To download this recipe in
a free PDF document that you
can print, save, or share, click here.

Click here for
free recipe PDF.

☕ Cleo's Cinnamon Stick Tea

Makes 2 six-ounce cups of tea

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups of water
*2-3 cinnamon sticks (see my note below on types of cinnamon)

1 teaspoon raw, local honey (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 teacup and enjoy!

Cleo’s Cinnamon-Orange Tea with Honey

After straining the cinnamon stick tea into your teacup, 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!