Unusual Cold Remedies from Asian Store

Q. I’d like to share some cold remedies you may not know about. One can purchase ginger tea (ginger slices preserved in honey) in Asian food stores. It makes a wonderful tonic, much stronger than the tea I make with sliced ginger root.
They also sell honey citron tea. I used to teach English to families from South Korea in their homes. If I ever had a cough or a sniffle, the mothers would serve me honey citron tea. It is very soothing, though I doubt that anything other than time actually cures a cold.
A. Ginger is a time-tested home remedy for colds, coughs and congestion. Thyme tea can also ease a cough. We offer recipes for both in our Guide to Colds, Coughs & the Flu.
We also discuss other approaches that can be helpful for such infections, including the Chinese herbs Andrographis paniculata and Astragalus membranaceus (Alternative Medicine Review, March, 2011; March, 2007). These herbs may help the immune system rally to fight off some types of infection.