Make Your Own Black Pepper Tea

By
Lindsey Goodwin
Lindsey Goodwin
Lindsey Goodwin is a food writer and tea consultant with more than 12 years of experience exploring tea production and culture.
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Updated on 06/26/19
Pepper tea
Banu Patel / FOAP / Getty Images

Black pepper "tea" is any tea, herbal infusion or herbal decoction made with black peppercorns. Black peppercorns (as well as white pepper, pink pepper, red peppercorns and green peppercorns) are used on their own or in blends to make teas and infusions.

Black pepper tea is a common remedy for coughs and sore throats in Ayurveda. It is usually made with ground black pepper and can be flavored with ginger, lemon, honey and other ingredients.

A popular example of a black pepper tea is masala chai, which often contains black pepper.

Basic Black Pepper Tea Recipe

Making basic black pepper tea at home is quick and easy. Here's how.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups filtered water
  • 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • (optional) 1 Tbsp. honey
  • (optional) 1 tsp. lemon juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
  • (optional) 1 heaping teaspoon freshly chopped ginger

Directions

  1. Bring the water to a boil.
  2. Add all other ingredients and turn off the heat.
  3. Allow to steep for three to five minutes.
  4. Strain into two mugs and drink while hot.

Variation: If you want a stronger black pepper tea, you can let all the ingredients except the honey simmer for a few minutes, then turn off the heat and steep. Add the honey after you turn off the heat or after straining.

Black Pepper Health Benefits

For centuries, black pepper and other types of pepper have been used in Ayurveda and alternative medicines for reducing free radicals, increasing circulation, reducing joint stiffness, easing sinus pressure, promoting weight loss and balancing the body’s water content.

You can learn about more health benefits of spicy foods, or check out my top recommended detox teas, several of which feature pepper as an ingredient.

Looking for more ways to incorporate the benefits of black pepper into your diet? Brew some peppercorns or ground black pepper with your next cup of tea or herbal infusion.

More Pepper Drink Recipes

Pepper can be boiled in hot water or simmered in milk as a basic home remedy for some of the ailments listed above. Beyond that, pepper can be used to add flavor to a wide range of drinks, including teas and cocktails.

Black pepper also makes a great masala chai spice and can easily be incorporated into most masala chai recipes.

Also Known As

Piper nigrum (Latin / botanical name), kaalii mirch (Hindi), Hu Jiao (Chinese)