It’s spring allergy season, and with that may come a chalky, irritated throat. You probably have some of your own favorite habits to help with those annoying allergy symptoms, but one of our favorite strategies is curling up with a hot cup of tea—and Padma Lakshmi just gave us a new recipe to try.

In a recent Instagram video, Lakshmi teams up with Awkwafina, her comedian pal, to show off her go-to remedy for a sore throat. Awkwafina shares that she’s been getting over a cold and dealing with a sore throat after doing karaoke the night before. (She says her song choices were “Chop Suey!” by System of a Down and “Mr. Jones” by Counting Crows, by the way.)

To make her simple tea—while also working on a pan of fried dumplings—Lakshmi combines two fresh tangerine peels and a pinch of cloves with hot water for an ultra-simple concoction that she swears by. Once it’s steeped in her teapot for a bit, she pours a mug and adds the final touch: a little honey.

“This honey is house-made from home-grown bees,” jokes Lakshmi, stirring in a spoonful of the sweet stuff.

Lakshmi says she’ll let a pot of this tangerine-clove tea sit on the kitchen counter all day, grabbing a mug to sip on whenever she finishes her cup. And once she tries a sip, Awkwafina only has rave reviews to give. “Oh my God, that’s so good,” she says.

Lakshmi adds that the tea is deliciously soothing—and as she notes in her caption, it “really does work wonders for the throat.”

Though the video ends there and we don’t get to see whether Awkwafina’s post-System of a Down vocal cords are feeling better, we can assume that Lakshmi knows what she’s talking about.

The sore-throat-fighting attributes of many varieties of herbal teas, sometimes called tisanes, are well-noted. In fact, we’ve even compiled a list of the five best teas for a sore throat. Plus, just staying hydrated is important, and sipping tea throughout the day when you’re not feeling well has that going for it.

Even better? The tangerine in this tea will also level up your drink with a kick of beneficial vitamin C. Vitamin C may be best known to boost immunity, but it can also help your body absorb the iron it needs to power through the day. 

And if you don’t have a tangerine on hand, don’t fret. Both tangerines and clementines are types of mandarin oranges, so any variety thereof is a good choice. Even that basic navel or Cara Cara orange you have lurking in the fridge would make a good sub in this drink.

But citrus isn’t the only nutritional powerhouse in the mix. Honey is known to help you heal from colds, and its immune-boosting might is also great for overcoming allergies. And like tangerines, its concentration of antioxidants can aid in fighting off whatever ails you, including chronic inflammation.

Finally, that pinch of cloves has its own assets. The warming spice contributes a bit of calcium and magnesium to your tea. 

In all, Lakshmi’s simple tea is a soothing way to support a sore throat, whether you’re suffering from allergies or just rocked out too hard last night. And we love an excuse to get extra use out of our citrus peels, too.