Ginger tea is a combination of ginger root and boiling water used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries. The tea is known for its potential health benefits like quelling nausea and reducing inflammation.

Despite its name, ginger tea isn’t technically a tea, since it contains no tea leaves. Rather, it’s made by steeping a piece of fresh ginger in boiling water. It sometimes goes by the names shōgayu, saenggang-cha, teh halia, teh jahe, or salabat.

Ginger tea has a long history in various parts of Asia, where it has been used for medicinal and culinary purposes. Some historians believe ginger tea was created as early as the Tang dynasty in seventh-century China when ginger was added to tea as a flavor enhancer.1 Since then, it has been used to treat nausea, high blood pressure, pain, inflammation, weight management, and more.

You can purchase ginger-flavored tea bags or prepared teas at the supermarket or health food store. However, these are made with flavored tea leaves rather than ginger alone.