Tangawis: A ginger drink that's refreshing — and fiery too

Vivid memories of drinking tangawis while growing up in Congo compelled Murielle Banackissa to develop a version for her cookbook, Savoring.

“When I first tested this recipe, I remember taking my first sip … and being brought back to my childhood immediately,” the Montreal-based food writer, photographer and stylist said. And that’s one of her favourite things about recreating recipes with a personal history: "Through every bite or sip, I get to travel back in time to what seems like another life.” 

While she enjoys tangawis best as a simple shot (“They are so bright and spicy — they wake my palate right up!”), she also said it can give a spicy kick to a Moscow mule. She recommends adding the tangawis gradually and tasting as you go so the ginger doesn’t overpower the drink. 

If you don’t have organic ginger, which Banackissa calls for, she said you can increase the ginger by half a cup or decrease the water to 2½ or 3 cups. Read on for how to make this bright, refreshing beverage. 

Tangawis

By Murielle Banackissa

There are two drinks I remember from my childhood in Congo: grenadine and tangawis. Grenadine is a bright red and sweet sparkling drink made of grenadine syrup, while tangawis is a yellowish-beige juice made from fresh ginger. I remember it being very bright in flavour, spicy, and so refreshing. It is only through writing this book that I attempted making the recipe for myself, and through the testing process, I have reconnected with this beloved childhood drink. My favorite step in making this recipe is straining the elixir through a nut milk bag, releasing all that bright goodness from the ginger. Although this drink is made with only four ingredients, you can have fun experimenting with the flavouring by adding more maple syrup or citrus juice, for instance. You can even incorporate it in cocktails! I never drink more than ⅓ cup of it at a time because it is very concentrated.

Notes: 

I highly recommend using organic ginger, which has a more intense flavour than non-organic ginger. 

Feel free to use as little or as much maple syrup and lime juice as you like. These measurements are just my preference. 

If you don’t have a nut milk bag, simply line a fine-mesh strainer with three layers of cheesecloth and place it over the bowl. Pour the ginger juice through it. Gather the four corners of each of the cheesecloths, twist them all together, and squeeze the ginger mixture to extract the juice. 

Want an extra kick? Stir some cayenne pepper into the juice along with the maple syrup and lime juice.

Ingredients

• 1 cup peeled and chopped organic ginger (see note)
• 3½ cups water
• 3 tbsp maple syrup (see note)
• 2 tbsp lime juice or lemon juice (see note)

Preparation

In a high-speed blender, blend the ginger and water on high speed for 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a 32-ounce Mason jar and discard the ginger pulp. Seal the jar with its lid and refrigerate for 24 hours. 

The next day, shake the jar for 10 seconds, then set a nut milk bag (see note) into a mixing bowl large enough to hold 4 cups of liquid. Pour the ginger mixture into the bag, twist the top of the bag, and squeeze it to extract the juice from the ginger flesh. 

Use a silicone spatula or a whisk to stir in the maple syrup and lime juice. Taste and adjust the sweetness and acidity levels as desired. 

Give the jar a rinse, then pour the ginger juice back into it. Store the juice in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Makes 4 cups

Excerpted from Savoring by Murielle Banackissa. Copyright © 2024 Murielle Banackissa. Photographs by Murielle Banackissa. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.