h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Here is a recipe for an excellent tea that is soothing for sore throats and helps boost the body's defenses:

Grate 1/2" to 1" of fresh ginger root into 2 cups of boiling water. Let the mixture soak for about two minutes. Strain the bits of ginger from the liquid and throw them away. Add the juice of 1/4 of a lemon and a spoonful of honey.

One warning: this is not the pleasant sort of tea you're used to drinking. It actually tastes incredibly nasty. However, there is nothing like it for recovering a voice lost to a bad cold.