Sodden

Merriam-Webster defines sodden:
Pronunciation: 'sä-d &n
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English soden, from past participle of sethen to seethe
1 a :dull or expressionless especially from continued indulgence in alcoholic beverages
1 b: Torpid, sluggish
2 a: Heavy with or as if with moisture or water

5:52 am: I am sipping “water sodden with ginger in it.” Flakes and tiny pieces of grated ginger floating in my cup. I chew each of them as they flow from the cup into my mouth. Little ginger explosions on my tongue.

This is the grater I used. A little Japanese job. Sharp as all get out. One can use it to get just ginger juice also. Scrape the ginger into the trough at the bottom and press on the ginger and out drips the juice. Nice. Neat. Functional. I appreciate design like that. I also appreciate ginger and all those who helped get it to my belly. I know that the produce manager in the store where I bought it is named Pooch. And the owner of the store is John. Beyond that, I’m at a loss for who had a hand in gettting it here. Oh, the cashier’s name is Lori.

I will ask Pooch the next time I’m in the store where she buys the fresh ginger.

I might have said I am sipping ginger tea this morning. But that would not be true. Tea is the name of a specific plant: Camellia sinensis. Therefore, I would be wrong in saying ginger tea as there is no Camellia sinensis in sight. So, I ought to say I am sipping a ginger infusion; which is a solution obtained by steeping or soaking a substance (usually in water). Try that the next time you go to a restaurant and start to order herbal tea.

“I’ll have a peppermint infusion, please.”