America's Iced Tea

Many people say there's nothing more American than apple pie. However there is another sweet treat that's one hundred percent red, white, and blue.

From coast to coast, Americans are wild about iced tea. What many don't realize is that although it's based on an Asian brew, iced tea is an American innovation.

Iced tea's popularity can be traced to the heat wave of 1904 when tea merchant Richard Blechynden decided to serve tea over ice at an exposition in St. Louis. Americans have since perfected different methods of making iced tea, along with several innovate recipes.

Black teas from Ceylon, China and Java are most commonly used to make iced tea. Flavored teas such as lemon green tea, peach black tea, Formosa oolong, or Japanese sencha may also be used.

While some prefer their chilly brew without sugar, iced tea can also be taken sweet. Superfine baking sugar or bartender's sugar should be used to sweeten the flavour. Other options including preparing sugar syrup on the stove using a 1:1 water and sugar and simmering the mixture for a few minutes. The sugar syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Iced tea may be made by cold or hot steeping. In cold steeping, dry tea leaves are placed in a clean jug filled with an appropriate amount of cold water. The infusion is refrigerated for at least six hours or overnight, and then strained into a second jug or container. Sugar or lemon may be added prior to serving.

To brew iced tea using the hot steeping method, three options are available:

Method 1
Use twice the quantity of dry tealeaves that you would ordinarily use for hot tea. Infuse in hot water for five minutes, and then pour over a full glass of ice. For best results, let the tea cool before pouring it over ice to prevent clouding or creaming down.

Method 2
Double the tealeaf amount, steep for 5 minutes in hot water, and then pour the infusion into a container with the same amount of cold water. This method dilutes the strong tea and prevents clouding.

Method 3
Steep black tea in boiling water for 5-8 minutes. Strain the brewed tea into a container containing cold water, and then add sugar or lemon to taste. If you brewed too strong a concentrate, it will be diluted when poured over ice. If you still find the tea too strong, you may add a little water until you have the perfect iced brew.

Many people enjoy mixing their iced tea with an equal amount of lemonade or other fruit juices. Take care that the juice does not overpower the flavour of the tea. Sweetened, flavoured, hot or cold brewed, iced tea is an age-old American tradition. Brew up a pot today and for a real taste of America, serve it with a big slice of apple pie.

4 Types of Tea: How is Each One Made

Tea is one of the most popular after food drinks in the world, but still very few people are aware that there are four inherently different flavours and types of tea one can find in every supermarket. Each tea is made out of different ingredients and each tea has its advantages and disadvantages. I will explain.

What you should always remember is that there are only four types of tea.
1) Black tea
2) Green tea
3) White tea
4) Oolong tea

All these are made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis, also known as the tea plant. Other herbal infusions such as chamomile tea, ginger tea or red tea made of rooibos leaves are disqualified as types of tea since the tea plant is not involved in their making. The difference between the four tea variations lies in the process of making them. In addition, each type of tea has another flavor and various health benefits.

1) Black Tea
The strong flavored burnt Sienna colored hot beverage is the most popular type of tea in the West. Either served with a squeeze of lemon or added milk and a cube of sugar, the cup of black tea is part of daily tea ceremonies that take place worldwide. Black tea is made of heavily oxidized Camellia sinensis leaves. When served plain, it contains no calories, carbohydrates, or fats. A cup of black tea contains more caffeine than any other types of tea but less than in any cup of coffee.

2) Green Tea
The lightly oxidized tea has been popular in China, Japan and Korea for centuries. Recently, rumors on its health benefits increased its popularity in the West as well. It has been proven that drinking green tea can lower cholesterol, prevent cancer, increase metabolic rates and be helpful in variety of other conditions and illnesses. The green tea is lightly oxidized, dried, but not fermented. It is usually served plain, without sugar or milk. Since some of the green tea variants taste a bit bitter, it should be brewed in lower temperature than the boiling point.

3) White Tea
White tea is rarer and more expensive than the other types of teas mentioned above. Originated in the Fujian province of china, the white tea is made of young Camellia sinensis leaves, which go through a long process of steaming or frying, inactivate fermenting and drying. Since the leaves are harvested while the buds are still covered by white hair, it is called white tea. White tea has the most delicate, sweet taste than the other types of tea. Moreover, it contains the smallest amount of caffeine and the largest amount of antioxidant that help prevent cancer.

4) Oolong Tea
The traditional Chinese tea is the common companion of Chinese foods such as dim sum and chop suey in American Chinese restaurants. The oolong tea, black dragon in Chinese, got its name after its long, dark distinguished leaves that look like wild black dragons when brewed. The unique taste of the oolong tea is achieved by a long process that includes sun drying of the Camellia sinensis leaves, light oxidization, cooling and drying processes. The result is a lighter flavor than the popular black tea and stronger than the delicate green tea.

5) Red Tea
Find out how Red Tea can help detox your body and get rid of excess fat. Click Here