satindesire
Queen of Geeks
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Today's Topic: Iced Tea
Iced tea, also known as ice 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. Apart from real tea, other herbs are also sometimes served cold and referred to as (herbal) iced tea. Unsweetened iced tea is sometimes made by a particularly long steeping of tea leaves (Camellia sinensis) 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 in the refrigerator.
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.
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.
Canada
In Canada, iced tea refers to sweetened iced tea, usually flavored with lemon. In most provinces, unsweetened iced tea is almost unheard of. This tea is made at home from drink powder or obtained in cans or bottles. Water, sugar and flavorings may exceed tea in terms of quantity in these drinks. Sweetened Green teas and those flavored with raspberry, peach, or pomegranate are also becoming more common via marketing efforts. Sweetened iced tea is often served as an alternative to other soft drinks, prepared by companies like Lipton, Arizona, Good Host and Nestea, although fresh-brewed iced tea is becoming somewhat popular, particularly in smaller independently-owned restaurants. Powdered or frozen iced tea is a common preparation at home, due to its ease of use.
China
Although not a traditional way to serve tea, iced tea gained wide spread popularity in even rural areas which aren't as poverty stricken since the 80's with canned or bottled tea. Many varieties of tea, including green tea, are available packaged and sold in stores. Many family's make their own iced tea by either putting lots of ice in a little bit of strong hot tea or by putting hot tea in a fridge for some time. Common types of iced tea are black, green, oolong, and lots of herbal types as well. Iced herbal tea is especially popular in the hot summers, where "yin" or cooling herbs are used to make tea such as chrysanthemum, kuding tea, etc. Cooled tea but still warm was already popular through out ancient times but tea at cold temperatures was not as popular then.
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. Instant teas are available that can be used to prepare iced tea with cold water.
Hong Kong
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).
Indonesia
In Indonesia, iced tea is sweetened; it is known as "es teh manis" and is served with a meal.
Iced tea as served with Indonesian food
Italy
Iced tea is a popular drink in Italy and is widely available, generally only in lemon- and peach-flavored incarnations. San Benedetto, as well as Lipton, are well-known brands. Apple is another favorite national flavor of tea.
Japan
Japan is one of the most important iced tea markets in the world and iced tea in bottles and cans is a common sight in the country's ubiquitous vending machines. Japanese iced tea products mirror the market for hot tea in the sense that they are mostly green tea and oolong products, usually unflavoured and mostly unsweetened. Suntory, Kirin, and the Coca-Cola Company are some of the largest producers. Lipton, the world's largest tea brand, offers a range of iced tea products based on black tea through joint ventures with two local partners, Suntory and Morinaga.
It is Japanese-style products rather than the Western-style products that are penetrating the markets of East Asia. Several Japanese companies have also started exporting their products to Europe and North America, in particular Ito En, which markets a whole range of Japanese-style unsweetened green and oolong teas in the USA.
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. Iced tea in the Philippines is almost always sweet, with a slight lemon flavor.
Switzerland
A company from the Swiss Alps has made its own herbal iced tea. This herbal iced tea is made from black tea, sugar, lemon juice and mint, melissa officinalis, verbena, chamomile, stinging nettle, lady's mantle. [1] Another famous Swiss Ice Tea is Nestea, produced by the Swiss Brand Nestlé. It's available in classic flavours like Lemon and Peach, but also exotic ones like Hibicus and Ananas.
Taiwan
Bubble tea is usually a strong black tea, sweetened with sugar and condensed milk. It is served cold usually with tapioca pearls. There are many variations of it, with different types of teas, fruit flavored bubble teas are popular as well. Sometimes pudding, jelly, or chunks of fruit are put into it instead of tapioca pearls.
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.
Turkey
In a traditional tea-drinking country such as Turkey, iced tea is a new, but considerably popular summer drink. Lipton iced tea and Nestea are two different non-carbonated iced tea brands with flavours such as lemon, lime, mango, peach, and berries.
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.
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. Sweet tea is the common type in the South; elsewhere, unsweetened tea is the standard.
The oldest printed recipes for iced tea date back to the 1870s. Two of the earliest cookbooks with iced tea recipes are the Buckeye Cookbook by Estelle Woods Wilcox, first published in 1876, and Housekeeping in Old Virginia, by Marion Cabell Tyree, first published in 1877. Iced tea had started to appear in the USA during the 1860s. Seen as a novelty at first, during the 1870s it became quite widespread. Not only did recipes appear in print, but iced tea was offered on hotel menus, and was on sale at railroad stations. It is not unusual to read that iced tea was popularized, perhaps even created, at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis by Richard Blechynden, but this appears to be a "popular legend".
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. In the summer, iced tea is also very popular.
Freshly brewed iced tea
Iced tea is traditionally served in the United States with lemon slice used as a garnish, which is often placed 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.
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.
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.
Health food and some other specialty stores often carry 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 such as chai tea, white tea, genmai tea, Jasmine tea, Earl Gray tea, and hoji tea may be available.
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 iced tea dispensers used by some restaurants. 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.[citation needed]
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 can be served with syrup and/or lemon. Sometimes, the temperature of the tea is not heated high enough to kill any bacteria, leaving the water potentially dangerous to drink. Proper cleaning measures and refrigeration must be undertaken to make the tea safe. The tea must be discarded if it appears thick, syrupy, or has ropey strands in it.
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 eventually marketed by Snapple, Nantucket Nectars, and Arizona Iced Tea; half and half is a mix of both iced tea and lemonade, giving the drink a much sweeter taste as well as a bite. A John Daly is an alcoholic version of the drink, often made with Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and Lemonade.
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. Also, in certain areas of Florida this drink can be ordered as a "Caddy Cooler".
Vietnam
In Vietnam, iced tea is often served for free in coffee shops and some restaurants while the customer is choosing what to order.
1795 - South Carolina is the first place in the United States where tea was grown and is the only state to ever have produced tea commercially. Most historians agree that the first tea plant arrived in this country in the late 1700s when French explorer and botanist, Andre Michaux (1746-1802), imported it as well as other beautiful and showy varieties of camellias, gardenias and azaleas to suit the aesthetic and acquisitive desires of wealthy Charleston planters. He planted tea near Charleston at Middleton Barony, now known as Middleton Place Gardens.
1800's - English and American cookbooks shows us that tea has been served cold at least since the early nineteenth century, when cold green tea punches, that were heavily spiked with liquor, were popularized. The oldest recipes in print are made with green tea and not black tea and were called punches. The tea punches went by names such as Regent's Punch, named after George IV, the English prince regent between 1811 until 1820, and king from 1820 to 1830.
By the middle of the nineteenth century, American versions of this punch begin to acquire regional and even patriotic names, such as Charleston's St. Cecilia Punch (named for the musical society whose annual ball it graced), and Savannah's potent version, Chatham Artillery Punch.
Iced tea's popularity parallels the development of refrigeration: the ice house, the icebox (refrigerator), and the commercial manufacture of pure ice, which were in place by the middle of the nineteenth century. The term "refrigerator" was used for the first patented ice box in 1830 and were common in the mid 19th century in the United States
1839 - The 1839 cookbook, The Kentucky Housewife, by Mrs. Lettice Bryanon, was typical of the American tea punch recipes:
"Tea Punch - Make a pint and a half of very strong tea in the usual manner; strain it, and pour it boiling (hot) on one pound and a quarter of loaf sugar. (That's 2 1/2 cups white sugar) Add half a pint of rich sweet cream, and then stir in gradually a bottle of claret or of champaign (sic). You may heat it to the boiling point, and serve it so, or you may send it round entirely cold, in glass cups."
1879 - The oldest sweet tea recipe (ice tea) in print comes from a community cookbook called Housekeeping in Old Virginia, by Marion Cabell Tyree, published in 1879:
"Ice Tea. - After scalding the teapot, put into it one quart of boiling water and two teaspoonfuls green tea. If wanted for supper, do this at breakfast. At dinner time, strain, without stirring, through a tea strainer into a pitcher. Let it stand till tea time and pour into decanters, leaving the sediment in the bottom of the pitcher. Fill the goblets with ice, put two teaspoonfuls granulated sugar in each, and pour the tea over the ice and sugar. A squeeze of lemon will make this delicious and healthful, as it will correct the astringent tendency."
1884 - This may be the first printed recipe using black tea, which has become so universal today, and could also be the earliest version of pre-sweetened iced tea, the usual way of making it in the South today. Mrs. D. A. (Mary) Lincoln, director of the Boston Cooking School, published Mrs. Lincoln's Boston Cook Book: What to Do and What Not to Do in Cooking in 1884. On page 112, there it is: iced tea, proving that the drink was not just a Southern drink.
Ice Tea or Russian Tea - Make the tea by the first receipt, strain it from the grounds, and keep it cool. When ready to serve, put two cubes of block sugar in a glass, half fill with broken ice, add a slice of lemon, and fill the glass with cold tea.
1890 - Professor Lyndon N. Irwin, of Southwest Missouri State University and a member of the St. Louis World's Fair Society, found an article from the September 28, 1890 issue of the Nevada Noticer newspaper regarding the 1890 Missouri State Reunion of Ex-Confederate Veterans. This article clearly states that iced tea had been around prior to1890. The article states the following:
"The following figures will convey some idea of the amount of provision used a Camp Jackson during the recent encampment. There were 4,800 pounds of bread, 11,705 pounds of beef, 407 pounds of ham, 21 sheep, 600 pounds of sugar, 6 bushels of beans, 60 gallon of pickles, and a wagonload of potatoes. It was all washed down with 2,220 gallons of coffee and 880 gallons of iced tea. The committee expended $3,000, a little in excess of the amount subscribed, for the entertainment of the old soldiers."
1893 - The 1893 Chicago World's Fair, also called the Columbian Exposition, had a concessionair that grossed over $2,000 selling iced tea and lemonade.
The Home Queen World's Fair Souvenir Cookbook - Two Thousand Valuable Recipes on Cookery and Household Economy, Menus, Table Etiquette, Toilet, Etc. Contributed by Two Hundred World's Fair Lady Managers, Wives of Governors and Other Ladies of Position and Influence, compiled by Miss Juliet Corson includes a recipe for variations on serving iced tea.
1895 - The Enterprising Manufacturing Co. of Pennsylvania distributed its popular recipe booklet called The Enterprising Housekeeper by Helen Louise Johnson. In the recipe booklet, they advertise their popular ice shredders and its many uses. One use was "for your iced tea."
20th Century
1900s - After 1900, iced tea became commonplace in cookbooks, and black tea began replacing green as the preferred tea for serving cold. The preference for black over green tea in an iced beverage came with of import of inexpensive black tea exports from India, Ceylon, South America, and Africa.
1904 - It was at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis that iced tea was popularized and commercialized (not invented). Due to the hot summer of 1904, people ignored any hot drinks and went in search of cold drinks, including iced tea. Because of this, it changed the way the rest of Americans thought of tea, thus popularizing iced tea.
Most historians mistakenly give credit to Richard Blechynden, India Tea Commissioner and Director of the East Indian Pavilion, as being the creator of ice tea at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. In the East Indian Pavilion at the Fair, Blechynden was offering free hot tea to everyone. Because of the intense heat, it was soon realized that the heat prevented the crowd from drinking his hot tea. Blechynden and his team took the brewed India tea, filled several large bottles, and placed them on stands upside down - thus allowing the tea to flow through iced lead pipes. This free iced tea was very much welcomed by the thirsty fair goers. After the fair, Blechynden took his lead pipe apparatus to New York City, offering free iced tea to shoppers at Bloomingdale Brothers Department Store, demonstrating iced tea is a desirable summertime drink.
According to the book Beyond The Ice Cream Cone - The Whole Scoop on Food at the 1904 World's Fair by Pamela J. Vaccaro:
"Both hot tea and iced tea appeared on most restaurant menus at the Fair - at the Barbecue, Fair Japan, the Old Irish Parliament House, the Louisiana and Texas Rice Kitchen, Mrs. Rorer's East Pavilioin Cafe, and so on. It is highly unlikely that all these restaurants jumped on the bandwagon of Blechynden's "new idea," and scurried to the print shops to have their menus reprinted!"
What really "stirs the pot" is that "Richard Blechynden" was listed as an official concessionaire (No. 325) "to serve tea in cups and packages" at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 - 11 years before the one in St. Louis. The financial records from the exposition do not list any ledger entries for Blechynden - which raises the question of whether he actually showed up or was just late with his report. But, if he had been there, it would have been odd that he would not have realized that his product was already being sold in hot and cold versions. It would likewise be odd that, in the 11 intervening years, he would have been totally oblivious to the drinkls inclusion in cookbooks and on menus.
1917 - By World War I, Americans were buying special tall iced tea glasses, long spoons, and lemon forks. By the 1930s, people were commonly referring to the tall goblet in crystal sets as an "iced tea" glass.
1920-1933 - The American Prohibition (1920-1933) helped boost the popularity of iced tea because average Americans were forced to find alternatives to illegal beer, wine, and alcohol. Iced tea recipes begin appearing routinely in most southern cookbooks during this time.
1928 - In the southern cookbook, Southern Cooking, by Henrietta Stanley Dull (Mrs. S.R. Dull), Home Ecomonics Editor for the Atlanta Journal, gives the recipe that remained standard in the South for decades thereafter. It is a regional book that very much resemblances the many “church” or “ladies society” cookbooks of that era.
"TEA - Freshly brewed tea, after three to five minutes' infusion, is essential if a good quality is desired. The water, as for coffee, should be freshly boiled and poured over the tea for this short time . . . The tea leaves may be removed when the desired strength is obtained . . . Tea, when it is to be iced, should be made much stronger, to allow for the ice used in chilling. A medium strength tea is usually liked. A good blend and grade of black tea is most popular for iced tea, while green and black are used for hot . . . To sweeten tea for an iced drink-less sugar is required if put in while tea is hot, but often too much is made and sweetened, so in the end there is more often a waste than saving . . . Iced tea should be served with or without lemon, with a sprig of mint, a strawberry, a cherry, a slice of orange, or pineapple. This may be fresh or canned fruit. Milk is not used in iced tea."
1941 - During World War II, the major sources of green tea were cut off from the United States, leaving us with tea almost exclusively from British-controlled India, which produces black tea. Americans came out of the war drinking nearly 99 percent black tea.
1995 - South Carolina's grown tea was officially adopted as the Official Hospitality Beverage by State Bill 3487, Act No. 31 of the 111th Session of the South Carolina General Assembly on April 10, 1995.
21st Century
2003 - Georgia State Representative, John Noel, and four co-sponsors, apparently as an April Fools' Day joke, introduced House Bill 819, proposing to require all Georgia restaurants that serve tea to serve sweet tea. Representative John Noel, one of the sponsors, is said to have acknowledged that the bill was an attempt to bring humor to the Legislature, but wouldn't mind if it became law. The text of the bill proposes:
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'sweet tea' means iced tea which is sweetened with sugar at the time that it is brewed.
(b) Any food service establishment which served iced tea must serve sweet tea. Such an establishment may serve unsweetened tea but in such case must also serve sweet tea.
(c) Any person who violates this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature.
Iced tea, also known as ice 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. Apart from real tea, other herbs are also sometimes served cold and referred to as (herbal) iced tea. Unsweetened iced tea is sometimes made by a particularly long steeping of tea leaves (Camellia sinensis) 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 in the refrigerator.
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.
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.
Canada
In Canada, iced tea refers to sweetened iced tea, usually flavored with lemon. In most provinces, unsweetened iced tea is almost unheard of. This tea is made at home from drink powder or obtained in cans or bottles. Water, sugar and flavorings may exceed tea in terms of quantity in these drinks. Sweetened Green teas and those flavored with raspberry, peach, or pomegranate are also becoming more common via marketing efforts. Sweetened iced tea is often served as an alternative to other soft drinks, prepared by companies like Lipton, Arizona, Good Host and Nestea, although fresh-brewed iced tea is becoming somewhat popular, particularly in smaller independently-owned restaurants. Powdered or frozen iced tea is a common preparation at home, due to its ease of use.
China
Although not a traditional way to serve tea, iced tea gained wide spread popularity in even rural areas which aren't as poverty stricken since the 80's with canned or bottled tea. Many varieties of tea, including green tea, are available packaged and sold in stores. Many family's make their own iced tea by either putting lots of ice in a little bit of strong hot tea or by putting hot tea in a fridge for some time. Common types of iced tea are black, green, oolong, and lots of herbal types as well. Iced herbal tea is especially popular in the hot summers, where "yin" or cooling herbs are used to make tea such as chrysanthemum, kuding tea, etc. Cooled tea but still warm was already popular through out ancient times but tea at cold temperatures was not as popular then.
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. Instant teas are available that can be used to prepare iced tea with cold water.
Hong Kong
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).
Indonesia
In Indonesia, iced tea is sweetened; it is known as "es teh manis" and is served with a meal.
Iced tea as served with Indonesian food
Italy
Iced tea is a popular drink in Italy and is widely available, generally only in lemon- and peach-flavored incarnations. San Benedetto, as well as Lipton, are well-known brands. Apple is another favorite national flavor of tea.
Japan
Japan is one of the most important iced tea markets in the world and iced tea in bottles and cans is a common sight in the country's ubiquitous vending machines. Japanese iced tea products mirror the market for hot tea in the sense that they are mostly green tea and oolong products, usually unflavoured and mostly unsweetened. Suntory, Kirin, and the Coca-Cola Company are some of the largest producers. Lipton, the world's largest tea brand, offers a range of iced tea products based on black tea through joint ventures with two local partners, Suntory and Morinaga.
It is Japanese-style products rather than the Western-style products that are penetrating the markets of East Asia. Several Japanese companies have also started exporting their products to Europe and North America, in particular Ito En, which markets a whole range of Japanese-style unsweetened green and oolong teas in the USA.
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. Iced tea in the Philippines is almost always sweet, with a slight lemon flavor.
Switzerland
A company from the Swiss Alps has made its own herbal iced tea. This herbal iced tea is made from black tea, sugar, lemon juice and mint, melissa officinalis, verbena, chamomile, stinging nettle, lady's mantle. [1] Another famous Swiss Ice Tea is Nestea, produced by the Swiss Brand Nestlé. It's available in classic flavours like Lemon and Peach, but also exotic ones like Hibicus and Ananas.
Taiwan
Bubble tea is usually a strong black tea, sweetened with sugar and condensed milk. It is served cold usually with tapioca pearls. There are many variations of it, with different types of teas, fruit flavored bubble teas are popular as well. Sometimes pudding, jelly, or chunks of fruit are put into it instead of tapioca pearls.
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.
Turkey
In a traditional tea-drinking country such as Turkey, iced tea is a new, but considerably popular summer drink. Lipton iced tea and Nestea are two different non-carbonated iced tea brands with flavours such as lemon, lime, mango, peach, and berries.
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.
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. Sweet tea is the common type in the South; elsewhere, unsweetened tea is the standard.
The oldest printed recipes for iced tea date back to the 1870s. Two of the earliest cookbooks with iced tea recipes are the Buckeye Cookbook by Estelle Woods Wilcox, first published in 1876, and Housekeeping in Old Virginia, by Marion Cabell Tyree, first published in 1877. Iced tea had started to appear in the USA during the 1860s. Seen as a novelty at first, during the 1870s it became quite widespread. Not only did recipes appear in print, but iced tea was offered on hotel menus, and was on sale at railroad stations. It is not unusual to read that iced tea was popularized, perhaps even created, at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis by Richard Blechynden, but this appears to be a "popular legend".
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. In the summer, iced tea is also very popular.
Freshly brewed iced tea
Iced tea is traditionally served in the United States with lemon slice used as a garnish, which is often placed 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.
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.
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.
Health food and some other specialty stores often carry 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 such as chai tea, white tea, genmai tea, Jasmine tea, Earl Gray tea, and hoji tea may be available.
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 iced tea dispensers used by some restaurants. 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.[citation needed]
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 can be served with syrup and/or lemon. Sometimes, the temperature of the tea is not heated high enough to kill any bacteria, leaving the water potentially dangerous to drink. Proper cleaning measures and refrigeration must be undertaken to make the tea safe. The tea must be discarded if it appears thick, syrupy, or has ropey strands in it.
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 eventually marketed by Snapple, Nantucket Nectars, and Arizona Iced Tea; half and half is a mix of both iced tea and lemonade, giving the drink a much sweeter taste as well as a bite. A John Daly is an alcoholic version of the drink, often made with Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and Lemonade.
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. Also, in certain areas of Florida this drink can be ordered as a "Caddy Cooler".
Vietnam
In Vietnam, iced tea is often served for free in coffee shops and some restaurants while the customer is choosing what to order.
1795 - South Carolina is the first place in the United States where tea was grown and is the only state to ever have produced tea commercially. Most historians agree that the first tea plant arrived in this country in the late 1700s when French explorer and botanist, Andre Michaux (1746-1802), imported it as well as other beautiful and showy varieties of camellias, gardenias and azaleas to suit the aesthetic and acquisitive desires of wealthy Charleston planters. He planted tea near Charleston at Middleton Barony, now known as Middleton Place Gardens.
1800's - English and American cookbooks shows us that tea has been served cold at least since the early nineteenth century, when cold green tea punches, that were heavily spiked with liquor, were popularized. The oldest recipes in print are made with green tea and not black tea and were called punches. The tea punches went by names such as Regent's Punch, named after George IV, the English prince regent between 1811 until 1820, and king from 1820 to 1830.
By the middle of the nineteenth century, American versions of this punch begin to acquire regional and even patriotic names, such as Charleston's St. Cecilia Punch (named for the musical society whose annual ball it graced), and Savannah's potent version, Chatham Artillery Punch.
Iced tea's popularity parallels the development of refrigeration: the ice house, the icebox (refrigerator), and the commercial manufacture of pure ice, which were in place by the middle of the nineteenth century. The term "refrigerator" was used for the first patented ice box in 1830 and were common in the mid 19th century in the United States
1839 - The 1839 cookbook, The Kentucky Housewife, by Mrs. Lettice Bryanon, was typical of the American tea punch recipes:
"Tea Punch - Make a pint and a half of very strong tea in the usual manner; strain it, and pour it boiling (hot) on one pound and a quarter of loaf sugar. (That's 2 1/2 cups white sugar) Add half a pint of rich sweet cream, and then stir in gradually a bottle of claret or of champaign (sic). You may heat it to the boiling point, and serve it so, or you may send it round entirely cold, in glass cups."
1879 - The oldest sweet tea recipe (ice tea) in print comes from a community cookbook called Housekeeping in Old Virginia, by Marion Cabell Tyree, published in 1879:
"Ice Tea. - After scalding the teapot, put into it one quart of boiling water and two teaspoonfuls green tea. If wanted for supper, do this at breakfast. At dinner time, strain, without stirring, through a tea strainer into a pitcher. Let it stand till tea time and pour into decanters, leaving the sediment in the bottom of the pitcher. Fill the goblets with ice, put two teaspoonfuls granulated sugar in each, and pour the tea over the ice and sugar. A squeeze of lemon will make this delicious and healthful, as it will correct the astringent tendency."
1884 - This may be the first printed recipe using black tea, which has become so universal today, and could also be the earliest version of pre-sweetened iced tea, the usual way of making it in the South today. Mrs. D. A. (Mary) Lincoln, director of the Boston Cooking School, published Mrs. Lincoln's Boston Cook Book: What to Do and What Not to Do in Cooking in 1884. On page 112, there it is: iced tea, proving that the drink was not just a Southern drink.
Ice Tea or Russian Tea - Make the tea by the first receipt, strain it from the grounds, and keep it cool. When ready to serve, put two cubes of block sugar in a glass, half fill with broken ice, add a slice of lemon, and fill the glass with cold tea.
1890 - Professor Lyndon N. Irwin, of Southwest Missouri State University and a member of the St. Louis World's Fair Society, found an article from the September 28, 1890 issue of the Nevada Noticer newspaper regarding the 1890 Missouri State Reunion of Ex-Confederate Veterans. This article clearly states that iced tea had been around prior to1890. The article states the following:
"The following figures will convey some idea of the amount of provision used a Camp Jackson during the recent encampment. There were 4,800 pounds of bread, 11,705 pounds of beef, 407 pounds of ham, 21 sheep, 600 pounds of sugar, 6 bushels of beans, 60 gallon of pickles, and a wagonload of potatoes. It was all washed down with 2,220 gallons of coffee and 880 gallons of iced tea. The committee expended $3,000, a little in excess of the amount subscribed, for the entertainment of the old soldiers."
1893 - The 1893 Chicago World's Fair, also called the Columbian Exposition, had a concessionair that grossed over $2,000 selling iced tea and lemonade.
The Home Queen World's Fair Souvenir Cookbook - Two Thousand Valuable Recipes on Cookery and Household Economy, Menus, Table Etiquette, Toilet, Etc. Contributed by Two Hundred World's Fair Lady Managers, Wives of Governors and Other Ladies of Position and Influence, compiled by Miss Juliet Corson includes a recipe for variations on serving iced tea.
1895 - The Enterprising Manufacturing Co. of Pennsylvania distributed its popular recipe booklet called The Enterprising Housekeeper by Helen Louise Johnson. In the recipe booklet, they advertise their popular ice shredders and its many uses. One use was "for your iced tea."
20th Century
1900s - After 1900, iced tea became commonplace in cookbooks, and black tea began replacing green as the preferred tea for serving cold. The preference for black over green tea in an iced beverage came with of import of inexpensive black tea exports from India, Ceylon, South America, and Africa.
1904 - It was at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis that iced tea was popularized and commercialized (not invented). Due to the hot summer of 1904, people ignored any hot drinks and went in search of cold drinks, including iced tea. Because of this, it changed the way the rest of Americans thought of tea, thus popularizing iced tea.
Most historians mistakenly give credit to Richard Blechynden, India Tea Commissioner and Director of the East Indian Pavilion, as being the creator of ice tea at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. In the East Indian Pavilion at the Fair, Blechynden was offering free hot tea to everyone. Because of the intense heat, it was soon realized that the heat prevented the crowd from drinking his hot tea. Blechynden and his team took the brewed India tea, filled several large bottles, and placed them on stands upside down - thus allowing the tea to flow through iced lead pipes. This free iced tea was very much welcomed by the thirsty fair goers. After the fair, Blechynden took his lead pipe apparatus to New York City, offering free iced tea to shoppers at Bloomingdale Brothers Department Store, demonstrating iced tea is a desirable summertime drink.
According to the book Beyond The Ice Cream Cone - The Whole Scoop on Food at the 1904 World's Fair by Pamela J. Vaccaro:
"Both hot tea and iced tea appeared on most restaurant menus at the Fair - at the Barbecue, Fair Japan, the Old Irish Parliament House, the Louisiana and Texas Rice Kitchen, Mrs. Rorer's East Pavilioin Cafe, and so on. It is highly unlikely that all these restaurants jumped on the bandwagon of Blechynden's "new idea," and scurried to the print shops to have their menus reprinted!"
What really "stirs the pot" is that "Richard Blechynden" was listed as an official concessionaire (No. 325) "to serve tea in cups and packages" at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 - 11 years before the one in St. Louis. The financial records from the exposition do not list any ledger entries for Blechynden - which raises the question of whether he actually showed up or was just late with his report. But, if he had been there, it would have been odd that he would not have realized that his product was already being sold in hot and cold versions. It would likewise be odd that, in the 11 intervening years, he would have been totally oblivious to the drinkls inclusion in cookbooks and on menus.
1917 - By World War I, Americans were buying special tall iced tea glasses, long spoons, and lemon forks. By the 1930s, people were commonly referring to the tall goblet in crystal sets as an "iced tea" glass.
1920-1933 - The American Prohibition (1920-1933) helped boost the popularity of iced tea because average Americans were forced to find alternatives to illegal beer, wine, and alcohol. Iced tea recipes begin appearing routinely in most southern cookbooks during this time.
1928 - In the southern cookbook, Southern Cooking, by Henrietta Stanley Dull (Mrs. S.R. Dull), Home Ecomonics Editor for the Atlanta Journal, gives the recipe that remained standard in the South for decades thereafter. It is a regional book that very much resemblances the many “church” or “ladies society” cookbooks of that era.
"TEA - Freshly brewed tea, after three to five minutes' infusion, is essential if a good quality is desired. The water, as for coffee, should be freshly boiled and poured over the tea for this short time . . . The tea leaves may be removed when the desired strength is obtained . . . Tea, when it is to be iced, should be made much stronger, to allow for the ice used in chilling. A medium strength tea is usually liked. A good blend and grade of black tea is most popular for iced tea, while green and black are used for hot . . . To sweeten tea for an iced drink-less sugar is required if put in while tea is hot, but often too much is made and sweetened, so in the end there is more often a waste than saving . . . Iced tea should be served with or without lemon, with a sprig of mint, a strawberry, a cherry, a slice of orange, or pineapple. This may be fresh or canned fruit. Milk is not used in iced tea."
1941 - During World War II, the major sources of green tea were cut off from the United States, leaving us with tea almost exclusively from British-controlled India, which produces black tea. Americans came out of the war drinking nearly 99 percent black tea.
1995 - South Carolina's grown tea was officially adopted as the Official Hospitality Beverage by State Bill 3487, Act No. 31 of the 111th Session of the South Carolina General Assembly on April 10, 1995.
21st Century
2003 - Georgia State Representative, John Noel, and four co-sponsors, apparently as an April Fools' Day joke, introduced House Bill 819, proposing to require all Georgia restaurants that serve tea to serve sweet tea. Representative John Noel, one of the sponsors, is said to have acknowledged that the bill was an attempt to bring humor to the Legislature, but wouldn't mind if it became law. The text of the bill proposes:
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'sweet tea' means iced tea which is sweetened with sugar at the time that it is brewed.
(b) Any food service establishment which served iced tea must serve sweet tea. Such an establishment may serve unsweetened tea but in such case must also serve sweet tea.
(c) Any person who violates this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature.
nice I am from sweden and I never heard of it 
