How to Make Japanese Apple Tea | An After-Dinner Cup from Grandma's Apple Country
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After a big dinner, when the stomach felt heavy, grandmas in Japan's apple country simmered apples and drank them like tea. Three ingredients, one small pot, and about 10 minutes.
Where It Comes From
Ringo-cha (りんご茶, "apple tea") is a simple drink from apple-growing regions of Japan such as Aomori, where apples are simmered in water and sipped like tea. In apple country, people have long made it after a meal when the stomach felt heavy. Apples themselves were loved enough to earn famous sayings: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," and in Japan, "When apples turn red, doctors turn pale." This isn't the bagged herbal tea from the store: it's real apple slices simmered in water.
Ingredients (Serves 1)
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Apple, thinly sliced, skin on | 100 g (about 3½ oz) |
| Water | 300 ml (about 1¼ cups) |
| Honey (optional) | 7 g (1 tsp) |
How to Make It
- Thinly slice the apple, leaving the skin on.
- Put the slices in a small pot with the 300 ml of water and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Strain into a cup and stir in the honey. (You can eat the soft apple slices as they are.)
Why People Love It
- A warm cup that helps you get fluids
- Studies in children suggest honey may help ease coughs
What Science Says
Apples contain fiber such as pectin, but no study has looked directly at apple tea and digestion. Science hasn't tested it yet — that's not the same as wrong. And Grandma had good reasons: a warm cup after a big meal is a gentle way to get fluids and slow down.
Today's Rating
| Evidence | Safety |
|---|---|
| ★ (a remedy passed down through generations) | 🟢 (safe when enjoyed as ordinary food) |
How to Enjoy It
After meals, 1 to 2 cups a day.
Just One Caution
- There's no special caution for this recipe. Please just follow the general note below.
General Note
- Never give honey to babies under 1 year old. Honey can contain spores of the bacteria that cause botulism, and babies under 1 year old can't yet fight them off. If a baby will share the drink, make it without honey.
Sources
- Funabashi City school lunch materials: Apples (Japanese)
- No direct studies (we found no research on apple tea itself)
This article introduces traditional food customs. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please talk to your doctor if you have health concerns.
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