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Home ► Recipes ► Japanese (Traditional)

Shōgayu (Ginger Tea)

Updated: 05.22.25 | Marc Matsumoto | 20 Comments

5 from 2 votes
Shōgayu or ginger tea has the power to warm your body and soothe your soul and yet it’s not much more work than brewing a regular cup of tea. This basic recipe for a Japanese-style ginger tea covers everything you need to know to make this delicious elixir.
Recipe Video
This Shogayu recipe (ginger tea) is fragrant, warming and delicious, and all you need to make it is some fresh ginger, lemon and honey.

What is Shōgayu?

Shōgayu (生姜湯) literally means "ginger hot water" and is a tea made by steeping grated ginger in boiling water. Ginger has long been revered for its medicinal properties in Asia, and drinking Shōgayu was not only a way to warm up during the frigid winters in Japan, but it was also thought to ward off colds. As it turns out ginger is loaded with anti-inflammatories and antioxidants, which may help to explain some of its immune system boosting properties.

Jump to:
  • What is Shōgayu?
  • Ingredients for Shōgayu
  • How to Make Shōgayu (Ginger Tea)
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Comments

Ingredients for Shōgayu

At its simplest, Shōgayu is just ginger, steeped in hot water, but there are many variations, in how the ginger is added to the water as well as what else goes in.

Ingredients for Ginger Tea including ginger,  Meyer Lemons, and honey.

Ginger - Ginger is the name of the plant whose rhizome we use for cooking. Depending on when it's harvested, and how it's cured, the texture and flavor can change. Young ginger which is typically very light in color tends to be very tender and has a milder flavor, while mature ginger becomes more fibrous and pungent. Once it's harvested, ginger can be cured by drying out the skin, which helps to preserve it. You can tell the difference between cured and uncured ginger by the moisture content of the skin.

Citrus - I like adding lemon zest when I brew the tea to add the fragrance of the lemon into the elixir. Then I'll usually squeeze about ¼ lemon into each mug of Shōgayu as I serve it, but this entirely optional. I used Meyer lemon for this one, but you can experiment with other types of citrus such as yuzu, key limes, or even just ordinary lemons.

Honey - This is another optional ingredient, but the honey not only makes this easier to drink, but it's also thought to be an effective cough suppressant. While none of this research has uncovered the active ingredient here, I like to add honey to my Shōgayu because it balances out the spiciness of the ginger and the tartness of the lemon.

Starch - Some people like to add a starch like kudzu when making their Shōgayu. This increases the viscosity of the liquid, which helps it retain heat better. If you do decide to do this, you'll need to cook the ginger and starch mixture on the stove to thicken it.

Tea - There are also some people who add more traditional tea leaves to their ginger tea. Green tea, in particular, is loaded with polyphenols such as Catechin, so if you wanna go nuts with the antioxidants, this is another good option.

Fresh ginger and boiling water is all you need to make a warming ginger tea, but adding Meyer lemon and honey take it to the next level.

How to Make Shōgayu (Ginger Tea)

Because you're not going to eat the ginger itself, there's no need to peel it. That being said, be sure to wash it very well as sometimes there can be dirt lodged between the nodes.

To prepare the ginger for the tea, I like to grate it as it releases the most flavor in the shortest amount of time. If you don't have a grater, you can chop it finely, but if you go this route, I'd recommend adding a bit extra.

Once you've prepared the ginger, all you need to do is steep it in boiling water. My teapot has a built-in filter, so I usually just put it in the teapot and then let it steep for 2 minutes. If you grate the ginger, it doesn't take that long to get the flavor out of it, but because I add lemon zest, I like to let it steep for a bit longer.

Once it's ready, you can pour it into whatever container you're serving the Shōgayu in, and then each person can add lemon juice and honey to taste. My personal favorite ratio is ¼ lemon and 1 tablespoon of honey for ¾ cup of ginger tea. This makes it fairly sweet and tart though, so I'd recommend adding a bit at a time the first time you make this to figure out the right balance for you.

If you want iced ginger tea, just chill the steeped tea after adding the honey and lemon. Then serve over ice, adding more lemon and sweetener if desired. I also have a recipe for Lemongrass Ginger Syrup that makes a delicious hot or cold beverage.

📖 Recipe

This Shogayu recipe (ginger tea) is fragrant, warming and delicious, and all you need to make it is some fresh ginger, lemon and honey.

Shōgayu

5 from 2 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time 4 minutes mins
Total Time 4 minutes mins
Yield 4 mugs
YouTube video

Units

Ingredients 

  • 30 grams ginger
  • 3 cups boiling water
  • 1 lemon (about ¼ lemon per serving)
  • 4 tablespoons honey (optional)

Instructions

  • Grate the ginger, or use a knife to chop it up finely.
    Grating ginger for Shogayu
  • Add the ginger to a teapot, along with some lemon zest.
    Teapot with ginger and lemon zest for making shogayu.
  • Add about 3 cups of boiling water to the teapot and let this steep for 2 minutes.
    Adding boiling water to a teapot with ginger and lemon zest.
  • Serve the ginger tea with wedges of lemon and a bowl of honey.
    Squeezing lemon into ginger tea.
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Nutrition Facts

Calories • 77kcalCarbohydrates • 21gSodium • 11mgPotassium • 79mgSugar • 18gVitamin C • 14.7mgCalcium • 13mgIron • 0.3mg

Comments

    5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Mike says

    September 12, 2023 at 8:44 pm

    5 stars
    I didn't know this had a name, I've been making similar drinks for years. I do my ginger cold now though, toss hunks of peeled root in a cup with a little honey, water, and lemon then hit it with the immersion blender. Strain with fine mesh, and that's a spicy refreshing drink that calms the stomach. Cheers!

    Reply
    • Marc says

      September 14, 2023 at 9:38 am

      Love the idea of doing this with fresh ginger. Sounds like a refreshing drink for summer. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  2. Yamika says

    July 24, 2021 at 9:52 pm

    can i make lots of tea and refrigerate 'em??

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      July 25, 2021 at 9:15 pm

      Hi Yamika, you can, but the taste of the ginger will change.

      Reply
  3. Ronny says

    November 07, 2019 at 11:16 pm

    Can you tell us more about your ginger grater? I find microplanes not great with ginger.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      November 07, 2019 at 11:48 pm

      Hi Ronny, I know microplanes get clogged up. The grater I used is a Japanese one meant for daikon but it works well for ginger too. You can also use the small holes on a box grater as the ginger doesn't have to be totally pureed since it's getting steeped in boiling water. I hope that helps!

      Reply
  4. babysaffron says

    May 11, 2019 at 10:55 am

    Can i pre-grate the ginger?

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      May 11, 2019 at 3:50 pm

      I'm not sure what it will do to the enzymes and nutrients in the ginger if you do this, but if you're just looking for the flavor you should be able to do this.

      Reply
  5. Lauren says

    May 11, 2019 at 1:26 am

    I love the nod to Cooking With Dog via the mug.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      May 11, 2019 at 3:50 pm

      Glad to hear you enjoyed it Lauren😀

      Reply
  6. Katherine Weinreich says

    April 03, 2019 at 3:02 am

    Thank you for this. I have known the benefits of ginger root steeped in boiling water. I never thought of adding lemon to it. Nice one!

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      April 03, 2019 at 11:11 am

      You're welcome Katherine thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  7. Dee says

    April 02, 2019 at 9:28 pm

    Ginger tea always works for me for my blood sugar levels and hypertension. I don't know why but I find it amazing and would recommend it to friends and family. In fact, I converted my son and husband and they drink the tea when they have a cold. It's also good for digestive problems. Everyone should drink ginger tea!

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      April 02, 2019 at 9:53 pm

      Hi Dee, thanks for sharing your experience with ginger tea. Ginger contains a bunch of enzymes and phytonutrients that have properties ranging from anti-inflammatory to anti-microbial. Like anything I think it's dangerous to think of it as a miracle cure-all, but there's very little to suggest there are any negative side effects and there's a fair amount of evidence suggesting there are positive benefits.

      Reply
  8. Marsha says

    April 02, 2019 at 12:33 am

    Love the Cooking With Dog mug 🙂

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      April 02, 2019 at 9:47 pm

      😄 it was fun having Francis over on my channel!

      Reply
  9. Alice says

    April 01, 2019 at 6:01 pm

    Sounds wonderful thank you.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      April 01, 2019 at 11:14 pm

      You're welcome Alice, thanks for stopping by to check this out!

      Reply
    • Vicki says

      April 02, 2019 at 5:57 pm

      I'm going to make it today

      Reply
      • Marc Matsumoto says

        April 02, 2019 at 9:51 pm

        Hi Vicki, I hope you enjoy it!😄

        Reply
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