Iced tea
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Iced tea is a form of cold tea, often served in a glass over ice. It may or may not be sweetened. Iced tea is also a popular packaged drink. It can be mixed with flavored syrup, with common flavors including lemon, peach, raspberry, lime, and cherry. Two versions of ice tea exist; notably herbal ice tea and regular ice tea (the latter being made from tea leaves).[1] Unsweetened ice tea is made by a particularly long steeping of tea leaves at lower temperature (one hour in the sun versus 5 minutes at 80-100°C). In addition, sometimes it is also left to stand overnight at the refrigerator. [2]
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[edit] Cultural variations
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[edit] Austria
Iced tea is very popular in Austria, though the common name is ice tea instead of iced tea. The Austrian "Rauch" Corporation is one of the most popular manufacturers.
[edit] Belgium
In Belgium, "Ice Tea" is the brand name of a carbonated variety of iced tea marketed by Lipton since 1978. They also market a number of other non-carbonated iced teas under the "Ice Tea" brand. Other companies have followed suit but use variations on the name.[citation needed] American iced tea is not well-known in Belgium.
[edit] China
Iced lemon tea (not to be confused with lemon iced tea) is often available at Hong Kong style cafes. A strong black tea (e.g. Ceylon) is brewed at length in a metal pot over a burner, and prepared as follows: a large glass is filled with ice, a scoop of simple syrup is added (if desired), and the glass is filled to the top with hot tea. Slices of lemon are placed atop the mixture, which are then muddled into the tea by the customer, ensuring that the floral volatile oils present in the lemon peel are at their peak when consumed.
In dessert parlors (such as "Quickly"), iced green tea is often available (usually flavored with jasmine blossoms), both with and without tapioca pearls, as is Hong Kong milk tea (usually served warm in cafes, but poured over ice when served with tapioca, creating a very creamy iced tea).
[edit] Germany
Nestea and Lipton are the most popular brands and lemon- and peach-flavored iced teas are the most popular variants. Lipton offers a number of non-carbonated iced teas under the "Ice Tea" brand and the carbonated variety under the brand "Ice Tea Sparkling". Iced tea is also available in many restaurants. Unsweetened iced tea is very rare[citation needed]. Instant teas are available that can be used to prepare iced tea with cold water.
[edit] Italy
Iced tea is a popular drink in Italy and is widely available, generally only in lemon- and peach-flavored incarnations. Esta Thé, as well as Lipton, are well-known brands. Apple is another favorite national flavour of tea
[edit] Philippines
Similar to the USA, iced tea is served in many bars and restaurants, grocery stores and fast food outlets as an alternative to carbonated soft drinks. In most areas, only the Nestea variety is available. It is also available in powdered form as well as in cans and bottles.
[edit] Switzerland
In Switzerland, herbal ice tea (called Bio Alp Tea) is made by companies as Val Plantes [3] In addition, another company from the Swiss Alps has made their own herbal ice tea. This herbal ice tea is made from black tea, sugar, lemon juice and mint, melissa officinalis, verbena, chamomile, stinging nettle, lady's mantle. [4]
[edit] Thailand
Thai iced tea has a strong Asian tea flavor as well as a creamy sweetness. Recipes can be quite varied, from the type of tea used (Jasmine, Genmai, etc.), the type of sweetener used (cane sugar, red bean), and the type of dairy used (cream, sweetened condensed milk). It has become popular in other countries, such as neighboring Laos, and in Thai restaurants in Western countries.
[edit] United Kingdom
Iced tea is becoming a more popular beverage in the United Kingdom, though not replacing hot tea, with milk and sometimes sugar. Lipton sold their carbonated iced tea, similar to the one sold in Belgium, but the drink disappeared from shelves in the mid-1990s. Recently Lipton has returned to general sale of non-carbonated tea, quickly followed by Nestea.
[edit] United States
In the United States, iced tea is very popular as an alternative to carbonated soft drinks, especially in the hotter southern states: it is ubiquitous in restaurants, convenience stores, vending machines, and grocery stores. It may be freshly made on premises, or available in bottles and cans, and at self-serve soda fountains. Restaurants typically give the customer the choice of sweetened or unsweetened.
Sweet tea, sometimes known as "Southern Table Wine", is tea brewed very strong with a large amount of sugar added while the tea is still hot. The mixture of sugar and tea is then diluted with water and served over ice and garnished with lemon. Sometimes the diluted mixture is allowed to cool to room temperature. Other times the sugar and tea mixture is not diluted at all but poured hot over a full tumbler of ice to cool and dilute it. The oldest printed recipe of sweet tea dates back to a community cookbook "Housekeeping in Old Virginia", by Marion Cabell Tyree, published in 1879.[5] The term can also refer to plain tea with sugar or sweetener added. Sweet tea is the common type in the South; elsewhere, unsweetened tea is the standard.[citation needed]
Iced tea was popularized and believed to be created at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis by Richard Blechynden, but recent evidence has refuted this.[6] Iced tea's popularity in the United States has led to an addition to standard flatware sets; the iced tea spoon is a teaspoon with a long handle, suitable for stirring sugar into glasses.
[edit] Freshly-brewed iced tea
Iced tea is traditionally served in the United States with a slice of lemon on the rim of the glass. In the Southwest United States (or at least in restaurants with a Southwest theme), lime is also very popular (especially in Mexican restaurants). It is not entirely uncommon for establishments to put out slices of both lemon and lime for the customer to take for themselves[citation needed].
Because of the varieties of eateries in the United States, as well as climatic and cultural differences, a variety of iced teas are available. Most prominent are:
- In barbecue, soul food, and Southern cuisine-style, establishments, along with greasy spoons and general eateries, black tea is iced. This is by far the most commonly available form of freshly brewed iced tea, to which the above statements apply. Fruit-flavored and herbal brewed iced take a close second.
- In some coffeehouses, more exotic varieties may be iced, such as Jasmine tea or Earl Grey tea.
- Thai iced tea is common in Thai restaurants.
- Iced Chai tea (spiced Indian tea) is available from some restaurants and stores. While not traditionally served iced, in the U.S. chai is frequently served iced, with honey as a sweetener, or pre-sweetened when bottled.
- Iced Jasmine tea, Genmaicha, and Hojicha are available from some Chinese cuisine or other Asian cuisine restaurants, but rarely. It is more common to find one of these varieties hot, where the patron may pour the tea over ice.
[edit] Bottled iced tea
The main manufacturers of bottled or canned iced tea are Nestea, Lipton, Snapple, Turkey Hill, and AriZona Beverage. Such tea can be found on the shelves of most Western groceries and convenience stores, in a variety of flavors, and leaf types (usually black or green, occasionally white). With iced tea mass-produced at this scale, unsweetened varieties are somewhat rare: most are sweetened with corn syrup, and their sweetness places them in the same market as soft drinks. Both the sweetened and unsweetened varieties usually contain the additive citric acid, labeled either "for flavor" or as a "preservative." Canned varieties are canned under high pressure to prevent the cans from being crushed, which may result in very mild effervescence.
In health food stores and some other specialty stores, you'll find a different set of iced tea bottlers, which may include Honest Tea, Tazo, Sweet Leaf Tea, various U.S. brands of the Japanese green tea giant Ito En, and other small companies. These are also available in a variety of flavors, although there is less emphasis on fruits and sweeteners, and greater emphasis on traditional tea spices and herbs (which can range from mint to oil of bergamot). Corn syrup as a sweetener is rare, with cane sugar, honey, and other sweeteners being more prominent. Citric acid as a stand-alone ingredient (i.e., present as a chemical additive and not because of the addition of citrus) is less common. Also, with these alternative producers unsweetened tea with no additional ingredients (just tea infused water) may be available, and uncommon varieties can be found (chai tea, white tea, genmai tea, Jasmine tea, Earl Gray tea, and hoji tea are some examples).
[edit] Fountain iced tea
In 1996, an FDA survey revealed high levels of coliform bacteria (due to inadequate cleansing) in the tubing from the reservoir to the spigot in a few of these containers.[7] Approximately the same time, the Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola companies began aggressive targeted marketing campaigns aimed at replacing fresh brewed iced tea in food service establishments with the cola companies' own tea concentrate which is dispensed using the same method as fountain drinks, pumped from a Bag-In-Box. In many cases, the cola companies provided a fountain dispenser for the tea concentrate that looked similar to the containers that were previously used to dispense fresh brewed tea. However, few serious iced tea drinkers were impressed with the taste of the products and tea sales at the establishments that offered them consistently fell after the switch to concentrate. Recent advances in tea brewing equipment and sanitation procedures have prompted some establishments (such as McDonalds) to return to brewing iced tea in recent years.
[edit] Sun tea
Iced tea can also be brewed by placing tea bags in a large glass container with water and leaving the container in the sun for a number of hours. This often results in a mellower flavor, and has the added advantage of being only slightly warmer than room temperature after brewing and therefore can be enjoyed immediately. Sun tea is also served with simple syrup and lemon. However, the temperature the tea is heated to is often not high enough to kill any bacteria, leaving the water dangerous to drink. Proper cleaning measures and refrigeration must be undertaken to make the tea safe. If the tea appears thick, syrupy, or has ropy strands in it, throw it out.
[edit] Half and half (Arnold Palmer)
There is also a growing popularity in the United States of a mixed drink called "half and half". Often called an Arnold Palmer, the drink was pioneered by both ARIZONA Snapple and Nantucket Nectars; half and half is a mix of both iced tea and lemonade, giving the drink a much sweeter taste as well as a bite.
Another popular use for the term half and half is that of a mixture of sweetened and unsweetened tea at a restaurant or fast food establishment that offers both choices. This provides a middle ground for those who want sweetness but not as much as the sweet tea being served. In some parts of the southeastern United States, a half sweetened/half unsweetened tea is ordered as a "Chris Rock", named after the comedian originally from Andrew, South Carolina.
[edit] Vietnam
In Vietnam, iced tea is often served for free in coffee shops, and some restaurants. It is usually delivered while the customer is choosing what to order.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Herbal ice tea recipes
- ^ Unsweetened ice tea preparation
- ^ Val plantes herbal ice tea
- ^ Bio herbal ice tea from Switserland
- ^ History of Iced Tea, History of Sweet Tea
- ^ 1904 World's Fair Iced Tea
- ^ Tea: A Story of Serendipity
[edit] External links
