Lemongrass Galangal Tea

Look at this knobby thing I picked up at the Fort Street farmers' market! It's galangal, or Thai ginger. It is spicier than ginger, with citron notes. I made a lemongrass galangal tea out of it tonight. The tea is like a mix of hot and cold: zingy heat from the galangal, but cooling and refreshing from the lemongrass. It's also easy to make:

Put 5-6 cups of water into a pot. Bruise two lemongrass stalks, cut them into two-inch pieces, and throw them into the pot. Peel a 2-3 inch piece of galangal and cut it into thin disks; throw these into the pot. Bring pot and contents to a boil, lower heat, then simmer for five minutes. Steep lemongrass and galangal in the water until it cools. I steeped mine for about an hour. Serve over ice.

The original recipe for this drink is here: http://blog.gourmet-lunch.com/gourmet-lunch/2010/03/lemongrass-tea-just-in-time-for-spring-weekend.html

Cheers! Galangal, like ginger, is supposed to be good for the digestive system.