Chinese iced tea. How to brew?

Is iced tea good or bad?

In the hot season, our body loses a lot of moisture, we are thirsty, we are hot. And how not to be tempted by a sweating bottle of cola or mineral water, especially since in the summer at every step we are offered fresh juices, kvass, cold juices and other drinks?

We will not delve into the conversation about the dangers of sweet carbonated drinks - you yourself know everything. Preservatives, dyes, sugar and other unhelpful components of these drinks can cause serious harm to your health. Let's talk about the pleasant. Of course, about tea.

Bottled iced tea - drink or not drink?

Of course, you decide. But let's reason logically. The shelf life of such tea is indicated on the package. This is usually 12 months. What will happen to real brewed tea in 12 months? Naturally, it will go bad. Conclusion - such drinks have nothing to do with tea. Moreover, such cold “tea” often sins with the presence of additives.

According to researchers, most lovers of bottled tea believe that this drink is healthier than soda and beer. But doctors warn that plain water is the best substitute for industrially produced cold tea. For taste, you can add a slice of lemon, which contains citrates, which prevent the formation of kidney stones.

But do not give up your favorite tea just because it is hot and do not want to drink hotter. Iced tea can be prepared in many ways, and if you follow some simple rules, it will retain all its useful properties and even gain new shades of taste and aroma, delighting our taste and olfactory receptors.

Can I make cold Chinese tea?

It would seem simpler - I made tea and cooled. Done. But while the tea cools down, in such a heat you have to wait an hour and a half, and you want to drink something right now, and we are not ready to wait. OK, then add ice? Again not an option. If you throw ice cubes directly into hot tea, when the temperature drops, the tea “closes”, its aroma and taste become flat and slightly expressed. The same thing happens when diluting hot tea with cold water.

The most delicious tea is freshly brewed, everyone knows about it. That is why Chinese tea party utensils are tiny bowls and small teapots that allow you to brew a small portion over and over again. In addition, the Chinese believe that the cooled tea is similar to the poison of a rattlesnake, and they know something about tea. Let's see where such a belief came from. It's not even about the spoiled taste and aroma. Leaving tea in the open air for several hours, a person runs the risk of getting a hotbed of bacteria and harmful compounds in a cup. These substances have the most devastating effect on the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, mainly the liver.

Cold brewing method

Insisting tea in cold water, of course, will also take some time, but the plus is that you can prepare such tea in advance and in large quantities. In addition, tea prepared in this way has a particularly deep and multifaceted taste - the extraction of essential oils and substances that form the taste of tea is slower, but better.

Another bonus - with prolonged insistence on cold water, more antioxidants are released into the drink than with conventional brewing.

How to make iced tea?

Take 10 grams of dry tea per 1 liter of water. If you are not using a scale, remember that tea has a different density. 10 grams of bulk tea is 2 full tablespoons, while the same weight of tightly twisted heavy tea will fit in one spoon.

Pour in cold bottled water (soft water with a low mineral content is best).

Refrigerate for 3-5 hours. Infusion time varies depending on the type of tea. The softer the leaf, the faster the tea will be ready.

It is convenient to use tall dishes with a small diameter - for example, such a carafe fits nicely on a shelf in the refrigerator door.

Pour tea into another bowl to separate the tea leaf from the finished infusion.

Your iced tea is ready - wholesome, delicious, refreshing! Now, if you really want to, you can add ice, but drink carefully so as not to catch a throat.

Which tea to choose for cold brewing?

Unfortunately, not all types of tea can be prepared in cold water. Shu puerh and green tea are not suitable for such a recipe. Shu Puer simply does not reveal its full potential in cold water, and green tea can produce excessive bitterness with prolonged brewing. Looking ahead, we make a reservation that you can replace green tea with light oolong, but Puer is still better to enjoy hot.

The fastest way is to prepare iced White Peony tea. In just 3 hours, its delicate leaves manage to give its taste and delicate aroma to the infusion. For a liter of water of white tea you need 2 tablespoons. White tea perfectly quenches thirst and refreshes, in addition, this tea can be drunk by everyone without exception - it will be very appropriate in nature or on the beach, if you cook it in advance and take it with you in a thermos.

Bright oolongs, such as Te Guan Yin, will be ready in 4 hours. The exception is Ginseng Oolong - it is very tightly twisted and it needs more time to open. But the result is amazing! Oolongs tone up and give an excellent mood, and Ginseng is a powerful energetic!

Very tasty cold GABA tea - well, just incredibly tasty! Drinking cold gaba in the heat, you can easily cope with any tasks at work. Please note that in the GABA line of tea there is Green Alishan (3 hours of infusion is enough) and Red Alishan (it will take 5 hours). However, you can adjust the exact time yourself - depending on how rich tea you like.

Prefer black tea? No problem! Varieties with a high content of tea kidney are well suited for cold infusion - Kimun from Yunnan, Dian Hong and others. Tippy tea turns sweet, with a delicious fruity note in taste and aroma.