Gnamakoudji or gnamakou is a ginger drink consumed in several West African countries, particularly in Côte d’Ivoire. It is given aphrodisiac powers but above all it is an invigorating drink that has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and digestive properties. Sometimes it is prepared with chilli, but I don’t like it too much so I didn’t add any. It’s so refreshing that I plan to do it very often!
Ingredients:
1l (4 cups) of plain water
250g (1/2 lb) of ginger
3-4 tbsp cane sugar + vanilla sugar or vanilla extract
1 lemon, washed and quartered
Mint leaves (optional)
1 slice of lemon
Method:
Peel the ginger, place in a blender and grind it with a dash of water to obtain a smooth paste.
Pour the water into a bowl and add the grated ginger, quartered lemon, sugar, vanilla, a few mint leaves and mix well to combine. Transfer to your refrigerator and set aside to infuse for up to 6 hours.
Filter the resultant ginger juice and place it in a bottle, shake before serving in glasses decorated with a slice of lemon or mint leaves. You can serve it with a few ice cubes if you want.
