I get sore throats a lot – any time of year, any time of day, for any reason really. I don’t know why, it’s just been a thing about me for the past couple of years. I think this was a lot of the reason I started drinking so much tea. When I first developed allergies I would drink 3-6 cups of tea a day and it would really do the trick.
That being said, I am a songwriter and I love to sing, making my voice very important to me. I’ve tried lots of teas to soothe my throat and keep my voice strong. I almost never play and sing without a mug of hot tea by my side. Through trial and error I’ve found some teas and ingredients or additions that work particularly well for polishing those pipes:
-mandarin orange spice
-ginger (I like to make it with fresh ginger root cut up and leave pieces in my cup to chew on)
-tea with licorice, cinnamon, clove, or nutmeg
-hickory root
–chai
-lemon and honey, of course
-cayenne (I usually put this in my hot cocoa, but I think it’d do well with some teas too)
-white tea (this sometimes helps with inflammation)
Good to know the alternatives to honey and lemon! Thanks!