Iced tea facts for kids

Iced tea with lemon

Iced tea is a form of cold tea, often served in a glass over ice. Any variety of dry tea may be iced, according to one's tastes. All one has to do is brew the tea and then chill it, or purchase a pre-bottled or -canned tea. It is often helpful to allow iced tea to cool to room temperature before refrigerating it to prevent the formation of condensates, which may give the tea a cloudy appearance, and a chalky taste. Warm tea may be poured over ice to chill it (if filtered water is used, the tea may not cloud at all, and flavor is usually unaffected), but prolonged storage in a refrigerator may still render the tea cloudy in any conditions.

Iced tea is commonly available sweetened (as sweet tea) or unsweetened. When using cane sugar, iced tea is best sweetened with simple syrup if cold, or with granulated sugar before cooling, as granulated sugar doesn't completely dissolve in the cold tea. Prepackaged iced tea may come in many different flavors, the most common of which are fruit flavors (lemon, as well as peach, raspberry, lime and cherry).

History

Prior to the mid-1800s, tea, when served cold, was referred to as tea punch and was typically spiked with alcohol. These punches had names such as Regent's Punch, Charleston's Saint Cecilia Punch, and Chatham Artillery Punch. Iced tea was popularised at the 1904 Saint Louis World's Fair.

Images for kids

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  Iced tea with lemon

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  Iced tea as served with Indonesian food

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  A lemon-flavored iced tea in Manila

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  A glass of Thai tea

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  A bottle of Nestea