Filipino Ginger Tea: Salabat

In the Philippines a citrus fruit called a calamansi is often used in this tea. It looks much like a lime before it matures, but then it starts to look something more like a lemon or even an orange. Lemons are fine as a substitute. Brown sugar is often used as the sweetening agent, but some use honey, which I prefer in such beverages. "Salabat" is used as a remedy for colds and stomach problems, but like regular tea, it is a wonderful beverage in its own right. Remember, ginger has some "zip;" thus, it's been used for centuries as a seasoning ingredient.  

Ingredients (about 4 to 6 servings):

6 inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into thin slices
1 medium unpeeled lemon, washed and sliced
1 quart fresh water
3 tablespoons honey (more for serving, if desired)

Put all ingredients into a saucepan (with a lid) over medium heat. Adjust heat to maintain a steady gentle simmer, cover and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes. Strain through a sieve and serve hot, with extra honey to preference. Refrigerate any remaining amount; reheat before serving (microwave or stove top).   

I put the Salabat into a clear glass for the photos ...

WORD HISTORY:
Horizon-This word is related to "aphorism" ("a statement showing principle"), a word borrowed by English from French, which had it from Latin, which had gotten it from Greek. The ultimate origin of "horizon" is unclear, but it goes back to transliterated Ancient Greek "horos," which meant, "limit, boundary," also, "the stones used to mark boundaries, and to divide land." This provided the basis of the Greek verb "horizein," meaning, "to limit, to divide, to bound." Its participle, "horizon," was used to denote something "bounded, limited;" thus, "the edge, the limit;" thus, "the horizon." Latin borrowed this as "horizon" and this passed to Latin-based Old French as "orizonte," with no "h," and perhaps initially taken into French from the Latin genitive, accusative or dative forms, all of which have "t" ("horizontis," "horizontem," "horizonti"), but this then became "orizon." This was borrowed by English around 1400 as "orizoun/orisoun" (Anglo-Norman form?). The 1600s saw the spelling changed to "horizon" in English, as the Latin spelling prevailed. By the way, "horizon" replaced the native English word "éaggemearc," literally, "eyemark"; that is, "the mark or distance seen by the eye." Our modern word "eye" was once spelled with a 'g' (or two), as its German cousin still is, "Auge."