History of Iced Tea
Instant iced tea
Richard Belchynden, an American merchant, is often given credit for inventing iced tea at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. There are other documented instances of iced tea prior to 1904 (as early as the 1870’s), particularly in the southern United States, where sweet teas (iced tea with sugar) are common.
How to Make Iced Tea
Instant Iced Tea – Single-serve
- Use 4.5 grams of tea per 8 oz water.
- Follow the normal hot steeping recommendations for the tea.
- Remove the tea leaves.
- Pour the tea over a cup of ice.
Flash Chill Iced Tea – Serves 8
Try the Takeya Iced Tea Pitcher
Iced black tea, oolong, and herbal tea
Steep 18 grams of tea in 4 cups of boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove the tea leaves. Add 4 cups of cold water. Chill in fridge or serve immediately over ice.
Iced green tea and white tea
Steep 18 grams of tea in 4 cups of 175-degree water for 3 minutes. Remove the tea leaves. Add 4 cups of cold water. Chill in fridge or serve immediately over ice.
A simple way to do this using standard kitchen utensils
You need 2 small-medium sized sauce pans and a large strainer or fine-slotted colander.
In one saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil on the stove. Remove from heat. Add 18 grams of tea to the water (no filter necessary – just leaves in the water), stir them in and steep for 3 minutes.
To remove the tea leaves, place your strainer/colander over the second saucepan and pour in the tea. The strainer will catch the leaves, which are no longer needed. Add 4 cups of cold water to dilute your tea to the proper ratio. Allow it to cool to room temperature, pour into a half-gallon pitcher and chill in fridge – or don’t wait and serve immediately over ice.
I prefer stronger iced tea
We do, too. In this case, use more tea instead of trying to steep the leaves longer. You will usually get a better result. You can easily go up to one ounce of tea per 8 cups of water (half gallon) without the tea getting bitter.
Ready to make your own?
Bodum Iced Tea Pitcher