Hot tea with sambuca isn’t really a recipe, just a suggestion for your hot drink repertoire. Try a cup of weak black tea, with a little sugar (or honey) and about half a shot of sambuca or other anise flavored liqueur. Paco, the Spanish bartender at the Officers’ Club at Torrejon Air Base recommended this to me when I had a cold back in the 80s. He, of course, was serving the tea with Anise, the Spanish liqueur from the town of Chinchon, but I find sambuca is more readily available in most places. The combination been filed away in the back of my brain, to be dusted off when I was recovering from pneumonia while we lived in Poland. It’s very soothing for a sore throat. Now, I’ve decided that it really tastes amazing and should also be consumed by healthy people just for pleasure without concern for the health benefits.
It seems that all meditteranian countries have a licorice flavored drink, and folklore touts the health benefits of these beverages. I don’t want to discount these old wives tales which involve cures for a wide range of ills, just because science hasn’t proven them yet. Licorice has long been a popular and effective flavor for cough drops, so it makes sense that the same ingredients found in these liqueurs would be soothing for the throat.
I so love the flavor combination that I was thrilled to find teas flavored with these herbs while shopping in Germany because there are times when a shot of sambuca seem out of place and inappropriate. As you might expect, our friends at Amazon can keep us supplied with Fenchel, Anis, Kummel Tee or Fennel, Anise, Caraway Tea in case you’re not planning a trip to Germany in the near future. (affiliate link)
Na zdrowie!
Lois
An accountant by trade and a food blogger since 2009, Lois Britton fell in love with Polish cuisine during the years she lived in Poznań, Poland. As the creator of PolishHousewife.com, she loves connecting readers with traditional Polish recipes. Lois has a graduate certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida. She is the author of The Polish Housewife Cookbook, available on Amazon and on her website.
Melinda
Now, if only I had sambuca in the house (dealing with my annual Fall cold even as I type)… Sounds like a wonderful remedy.
Lois B
Melinda – the next time you’re at Walgreens buying cold remedies, don’t forget to stop by the liquor department.
shirley
This post caught my attention. This one is really interesting. I wanted to give it a tr. thank you for sharing great tips.
Annette
Just made this…super yummy. Thank you.
polishhousewife
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Annette. It’s great for cold weather.