Yogi "Iced" Tea

A good friend showed me how to make this a few months ago - it has quickly become my favourite drink. Spicy, energizing and cleansing it is a great general tonic for your system. Traditionally you drink it hot with milk (50/50 nut/rice/soy or regular if you do cow - some believe the milk aids in digestion of the tea) - I like mine plain. We tried it cold a few weeks ago and found it was a really nice iced tea - I'm not sure if the health benefits are the same drinking it cold but, on a hot summer day it is a nice refreshing drink.

Yogi Iced Tea

• 1 largish knot of ginger cut into chunks
  
• 2 pieces of cinnamon bark
• 4 or 5 black pepper corns
  
• Seeds from 1/2 a green cardamom pod
  3 cloves

(all ingredients to taste - play with amounts)
Place all in a large pot of water and bring to a boil - simmer for about a 1/2 hr then refrigerate for iced tea. OR can be made like a sun tea - place all into a large jar and place in a sunny spot for a day or two.

A little about Yogi Tea & Cleansing... (taken from www.sahej.com)
"In the yoga tradition, Monday is a good day to increase the cleansing fluids in your body. Many people will use Monday as a liquid fast day. Then yogi tea or juices are used exclusively for a good systemic flush. People interested in a more powerful cleansing with the tonic use it periodically for a three day fast. Each day they will consume 8 to 24 cups. Because of its immediate energizing effect it is often used as a substitute to ease someone off of caffeine, coffee, cigarettes and even drug habits. It has tremendous effectiveness in warding off colds, lowering respiratory infections and fighting off the effects of flu."