February 9th
2010
What?! You’ve never heard of Thylehogichi? Well, neither have I. But THYme LEmon HOney GInger CHIli tea sounded a little stiff and boring, hence the new word creation by simply using the ingredient’s first letters (the kind of creativity, that arises from somebody who has caught a major cold, *cough*).
Last week I joined my friends Sebastian and Maike for a very special food and wine tasting at restaurant Huber. Yet I felt a little dizzy and my voice started to sound husky – bad timing, if you are surrounded by intriguing people that you’re keen talking to. Of course my intentions to use my voice sparingly fell by the wayside. We talked, we drank, we laughed a lot and left much later than planed. Next morning, the bill. My voice was almost gone, in exchange I couldn’t stop coughing and my head felt like a big balloon.
I remembered a piece of advice Sebastian had given me about his latest remedy drink (his friend Lea had recommended it) and since all the required ingredients were sitting on our kitchen window sill, I decided to give it a go. All its ingredients have a bounty of positive effects on a sore throat (antiseptic, alleviate throat tickle, soothe feeling of throat dryness), but – above all – the result tastes absolutely wonderful! I hope this post made it just in time for my fellow blogging friends – get well Ulrike, Katharina, Silke & Kaltmamsell and do give it a try yourself ;)
Oh, and I haven’t forgotten about the sweet something I promised, just let me get over this nasty cold…
Thoroughly wash your ingredients, cut the ginger into thin slices (I don’t peel mine, but that’s up to you), halve and squeeze out the lemon and cut off a few slices of the chili (optional).
(amounts are really subject of your personal preference, for 500 ml water I use 8-10 sprigs of thyme, 6 rather large slices of ginger, the juice of 1 lemon and 2 slices of chili)
Bring half a liter of water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a minimum and add the ginger slices, the thyme sprigs and chili slices. Let infuse for at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the drinking glasses/tea cups – add some (1-2 tsp, I prefer more) honey to each as well as the lemon juice.
Pour tea through a fine mesh sieve into the glasses and serve hot with thin lemon slices and/or small thyme sprigs. Feel better :)
Looks like a perfect tea for this grey Munich day...
Get well soon!
Oh.
Please consider it a iron proof of the trust I have in you that I will actually try this. Appetizing is not exactly what it sounds. But if you say so. Erm - thanks.
feel better soon!
I'm going to remember this one! Usually I just do the hot water with lemon and honey, but this takes it to a new level. Sounds very effective yet still enjoyable. Hope you feel better soon!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Valentinas Kochbuch, Valentinas Kochbuch, _Lu, _Lu, Leonieke and others. Leonieke said: Thylehogichi – or how to fight a nasty cold » delicious:days http://ow.ly/15oV3 [...]
Next time I have a cold, I will give this one a try. I have tried honey, ginger, and lemon tea when I have been ill, but you know, this sounds more tasty!
You just brought me back to my childhood! When I was young and got a cold my mother would make me a tea from hot water, lemon, honey and cayenne.
I didn't like the spiciness as a child but it did always make me feel better.
This is the ONLY thing we drink in our family when we're getting cold. Whenever I or my cousins start to feel a tickle in our throats, my aunt and mom holler, "DRINK THE DRINK!" and we know exactly what to do.
My aunt would make me drink this when I get sick!! It is like a magical potion.
I forwarded your link to my mom and she said that she likes to sometimes sub out the thyme and add lavender instead. :)
i forgot one to the healthy ones: If you add a bottle of Chardonnay after the infusion time and heat it up, you have a nice modern white glühwein (not recommend by your doctor).
Great medicinal advice. I've got this bookmarked for future reference--but please don't tell our local weatherman. He's been delivering consistent sunshine for the past few days, and I'm afraid he'll stop if he thinks we're prepared for a cold snap.
Danke für die guten Wünsche.
Hab'ich gleich als LeHoGi nachgemacht, mangels Thymian und Chili.
Macht wirklich schön warm und ist gut für den Hals!
Thanks for the credit of the recipe, Sebastian, but it's actually the invention of a certain Doctor Rugg...
Wow this is really neat, I want to try it. I am very interested in making home made remedies. Thanks for the recipe and a new and different way to feeling better.
I'm a big believer in hot concoctions for treating cold symptoms. This one sounds great, although I'd add a glug of whiskey for additional medicinal value!
Ha! Sebastian is cracking me up... the tea sounds good, but the Gluehwein sounds better. Nice. Nicky- hope you feel better soon!
I'm on top of my game now but will keep this in mind. Here, in Denver, there's a local Thai restaurant that specializes in Flu Shot Soup. This time of year, they make a killing. I easily envision your tea turned into a soup with some chicken broth.
This tea looks really promising for stuffed sinuses.. This actually reminds me of a Korean grapefruit tea calle Yuzu tea that is extremely similar to this. Thanks for the great recipe, will definitely give it a try!
I made a tea like this before, but I didn't add thyme. I imagine it adds a delicious note to the drink! Thanks for the idea! I feel a cold brewing, so I'll be making this tea soon!
What a great name! I make this for my family whenever someone has a cold but we never knew what to call it - thank you for giving it such a funky cool name!
If it sounds like the cold's getting to someone's lungs, I also add 1 T of fenugreek and a sprig of rosemary.
I think I might make Thylehogichi ice cream the next recipe I develop for my ice cream site! Doesn't it sound like it would be great for sore throats? (Don't worry, if I do, I'll ask you if I can use your name with credit!)
I think the awesomely cool name for this remedy is cute enough to make a sick person laugh til they get better, :) And it's yummy to boot huh! Get well soon!
Your tea is going to come in handy this winter. Hope you feel better soon! Left you an award on my blog ;)
Nothing better than a tea that makes you feel better. Colds are miserable things! I'll try anything once!
In addition to the Thylehogichi, you might consider Salehogichi (sage instead of thyme). Sage has natural astringent properties in it, so it tends to dry up congestion. My favorite cough and cold tea includes: sage, anise hyssop, a tiny bit of eucalyptus, and peppermint. I don't know what that'd be called: SagAnHyEuPe? Doesn't have quite the same ring! ;)
I am sure that this recipe helps.
You mean I don't have to add the garlic? I've always grated one fat clove of garlic into the bottom of the mug, topped with juice from half a lemon, an inch of grated ginger, a heaping Tblsp of honey, and topped with a fat pinch of cayenne. Then I pour boiling water over it all, let it steep until it's cool enough to drink and eat the garlic and ginger at the bottom. It's like Thai soup! And it always works like a charm ~~~
Where was this when I was sick.. ? :) Vielen Dank!
Great! Finally, I have a non-alcoholic alternative to hot toddies. Now, if only we could add alcohol to this...
Can't decide whether it's funny or sad that I'm gulping this very same quaff (minus the chili and thyme, but with extra ginger) at the moment. It IS ever so healing, and lovely, and genius for a cold. Still, it would be nice not to need it...
We just decided to offer thylehogichi in our friday market cafe. You are invited, d-days.
i like this. we have another cold elixir we use at our house which is 2 cups of tomato juice, the juice of 1 whole lemon, 2 cloves of garlic, smashed, and several drops of tabasco sauce or a couple of chiles. heated on the stove until just hot. it is very filling and helps chase away colds. we call it "the elixir" i just woke up with a cold this morning, so i think i will try your remedy first today. thanks!
hi! sounds great, I just would add the lemon later as all the vitamin C gets lost if the water is too hot! around 60°c should be ok!
I’ve never seen this recipe and something interesting and challenging to me.Wonderful blog and will keep following!
great tip to add the lemon just before drinking to retain vitamin c, thanks. i did notice that it tastes better when the lemon is added last. also, your remedy is delicious, very light and soothing!
Urgh. Well this couldn't be more timely...sore throat and zero energy so I feel it coming on. What a great idea for a post!
[...] once a semester. This semester, determined to beat the pest I got my flu shots annnnd made this “thylehogichi tea” from delicious days. Go on over to her blog! It’s beautifullll (although the recipes are given in grams so I [...]
Cool idea! I use a little more simplified version of yours:
1/2 lemon (fresh) squeeze into cup
cayenne pepper about 1/4 tsp
stevia for sweetening
Heat water, pour into cup with lemon juice, cayenne, and stevia before the water boils. It is based on the "Master Cleanse" drink, which uses maple syrup to sweeten.
Well, Nicky, you inspired me - here's the Thylehogichi ice cream recipe you spurred me to create. We called it Rolehogichi - a soy ice cream recipe that's a cold remedy too, since we substituted rosemary for thyme.
Thank you for all the fun we had in the kitchen thanks to you!
After reading your recipe last week and having a nasty cold since weeks I immediately made me some of this special potion and it helped super. Next day the cold was more or less gone. (and thanks to some medicine) And it tastes so yummy that I can´t stop making it and now I can say: I am addicted to it!! Hopes that it also prevents getting a cold.
I used to make this when I am feeling down the weather but I would add come chilies next time.
What a great title, Nicky - sounds like the new french-japanese tea shop. I give the applause to cinnamon, who made up this drink during a business meeting with the advice, to take a hot baht afterwards and then got to bed. One healthy hint: It’s better to cook the thylehogichi with the lemon slice and to add the squeezed lemon juice when it’s in the cup, so all the Vitamin C is saved. Gute Besserung!
Nicky: Of course you are right, I corrected it in the recipe steps :)