Red-Skin Garlic and Fresh Ginger Tea

Why people make this tea

Red-skin garlic is a variety with a notably stronger aroma and, traditionally, a more potent antimicrobial quality than the standard white-skin type. The combination of garlic and ginger has been used in Chinese households for generations as a warming, protective tea during cold and flu season. Modern research backs up what traditional cooks have long known: garlic contains allicin and a range of sulfur compounds that have been shown to inhibit a broad spectrum of bacteria and viruses, including flu viruses, and to work even against some antibiotic-resistant strains. Ginger adds its own warming, surface-releasing properties to the mix.