Warming teas can be the secret ‘recipe’ for a cosy winter day. If you feel a bit drained, a warming tea can support you regain your mojo from the inside out.

Funny enough, I am enjoying a warming tea right now when while I am writing this article.

But a warming tea is not all about the temperature of the liquor. It’s also about the ingredients that make up that tea.

I am talking about flavoured teas with certain ingredients that can have a warming effect.

Masala Chai is probably the best warming tea. That’s because it can contain ginger, cinnamon, clove, star anise, cardamom, fennel seeds, pepper, turmeric, nutmeg, chilli flakes. Of course a tea need not contain all these spices; adding 1-3 of them can be enough to warm you.

If you like to make your own warming tea, add some of the spices above to some black tea or pu-erh tea. I suggest boiling the tea and spices in non-dairy milk for max 2 mins and adding honey before serving. Every time you make a Chai, use a different spice combination to find the one(s) you like most.

Ginseng oolong is another warming tea you can try if you like the ginseng taste.

If you like tisanes, you can also add some of the spices above to rooibos for example.

One important thing to flag is the difference between spearmint and peppermint. Spearmint has a warming effect, while peppermint has the opposite effect.

A great side effect of a warming tea is that it helps with digestion and can prevent colds.

Facing winter has never been easier with a warming tea to soothe you.