There’s nothing better than having a fruity, cold drink in hand when it comes to the hot summer season. Offering a tantalising blend of sweet lychee, citrusy lemon, and fragrant tea, this lychee iced tea brings together a symphony of flavours that will capture your hearts and minds. Each sip is a refreshing oasis of coolness, with the delicate sweetness of lychee perfectly balancing the subtle bitterness of tea and complementing the tanginess of fresh lemon.
Served over crushed ice, this lychee iced tea is just perfect for enjoying on the patio under the sun!
Table of contents
What makes this lychee iced tea so good
- Quick and easy: Taking only minutes to make from start to finish, this drink is easy to make and tastes sophisticated!
- A perfect hot summer drink: With a combination of citrusy, tangy, sweet, and refreshing flavours, this iced tea recipe revitalises your body and is sure a taste of summer.
- Versatile and customisable: Easily swap the tea base, adjust the amount of syrup and fresh lemon juice to suit your own taste!
Ingredients for lychee iced tea
- Fresh lychee: I used some fresh lychee together with lychee in syrup to add natural sweetness to this drink.
- Canned lychee syrup: The key sweetener of this drink recipe.
- Fresh lemon: This adds a citrusy, tangy flavour to the drink to make it more refreshing!
- Black tea: I used black tea to make this recipe but you can also use any floral, or herbal tea of your own choice.
- Hot water: For steeping the tea bags.
How to make lychee iced tea
- Peel the skins of fresh lychee and remove their pits.
- Open a can of lychee in syrup and pour it into a blender. Blend until pureed, then pour over a strainer to remove the lychee bits. Use a spoon to press and squeeze out all remaining syrup. The straining step is optional if you want to keep the bits!
- In a measuring cup, add in 6 tea bags and pour over boiling hot water. Let it steep for at least 3 minutes.
- To serve, add in a few pieces of fresh lychee and lemon. Use a spoon to poke and squeeze out the juices. Serve over ice, then add in lychee puree and tea in a ratio of about 4:5. Adjust the ratio to suit your liking! Give it a mix then it’s done!
Success tips for making this drink
Steep the tea for at least 3 minutes but not more than 5 minutes.
To ensure the iced tea has a rich, fragrant tea flavour, be sure to let the tea steep for at least 3 minutes, but not too long as it will become too bitter. So 4-5 minutes of steeping is more than enough.
Do a taste test.
After mixing the lychee puree, fresh lychee and lemon, and the tea, do a taste test to see if it suits your preference.
What does this lychee iced tea taste like?
Fresh lychee fruit is sweet with floral and acidic notes, similar to a pear with a hint of citrus flavour. When paired with fresh lemon, lychee syrup, and black tea, this iced tea is crisp, citrusy, and refreshing with delicate sweetness neutralising the subtle bitterness.
Can I make this drink in a jug instead?
Yes, you can! The reason why I mixed the ingredients glass by glass is to serve the iced tea to my family members who have different taste preferences. You can pour in all the ingredients in a jug then let it sit in the refrigerator to allow all the flavours to infuse together. Serve over ice cubes only when you’re drinking it to prevent them from watering down the flavours.
How to store this iced tea and how long does it last?
You can store the iced tea in a bottle or a jug in the refrigerator and consume within 3 days. I’d recommend removing the fresh lemon slices before storing to prevent the drink from getting too acidic and bitter.
Indulge in the crisp, revitalising essence of this Lychee Iced Tea and let its invigorating flavours bring you to a world of pure refreshment. The pairing of fresh lychee and lemon, lychee syrup, and black tea freshens up your mind and body that just makes the day even better!
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Lychee Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 15 pcs fresh lychee
- 15 slices of fresh lemon
- 1 can of lychee in syrup
- 6 tea bags
Instructions
- Peel the skins of fresh lychee and remove the pits. Set aside.
- Open a can of lychee in syrup and pour into a blender. Blend until pureed. Optional: drain the lychee syrup over a strainer to remove the bits. Use a spoon to press on the bits to obtain all syrup.
- In a measuring cup, add in the tea bags and hot water. Let it steep for about 4-5 minutes. Remove the tea bags to prevent it from getting too bitter.
- To serve, add in 2-3 pcs of fresh lychee and 2-3 slices of fresh lemon. Use a spoon to press and squeeze out the fresh juices. Serve over ice cubes, add in lychee puree and steeped tea. I used a ratio of about 4:5 lychee puree to black tea, but feel free to adjust the ratio to your liking.