You’re probably thinking “Onion tea? Yuck!” Well, at least that’s what I thought when I first heard of this cold-busting/immune-boosting tea that’s so praised in the Dominican Republic. I asked my Dominican friends and family about it in disbelief, and not only did most of them already know all about it, they sternly agreed it’s one of the best remedios caseros (home-made remedy) against colds/flu and boosting the immune system!
What they didn’t tell me was that, despite the onion, this tea is surprisingly delicious and fills the home with a lovely aromatic fragrance. That’s because of its unique combination of nutritious and tasty ingredients which help neutralize the onion’s taste.
Ingredients:
| 1 red onion | Chopped into quarters |
| 1 apple | Chopped into quarters |
| 2-3 inches of ginger | Chopped into small pieces or grated |
| 1 tbsp of cinnamon | Or 3 cinnamon sticks |
| 1 tsp of cloves | Or 10 clove sticks |
| Orange/Grapefruit peel | Only if organic |
Instruction:
In a large pot add 7-10 cups of water. Set the heat to medium-low and let it boil slowly for 10-15 minutes. Let simmer for another 15-20 minutes (the longer, the better) until the apples are brown and sink to the bottom. Then serve with an optional squeeze of lemon and honey.
I love to keep the same pot in the fridge for the next 2-ish days and re-heat each time on low heat. The next few days the tea will be even more concentrated and the ginger will taste extra spicy. Yum!
Though like most Caribbean cuisine, there is no one “main” recipe; there are several variations intuitively personalized to each person’s tastes or needs.
Tip: Add an extra apple if you really want a sweeter/fruiter tea.
Tip 2: The onion can be red, white or yellow but red onion is more traditionally used, has more antioxidants, tastes less pungent, and gives the tea a beautiful crimson color.
