Iced Tea: A Refreshing Drink Loved Around the World
It has its origins in late 19th century America. Legend has it that itwas created accidentally in 1904 by Richard Blechynden, a businessman from Connecticut. While on a business trip to St. Louis, Missouri during a hot summer, Blechynden asked a bartender to dilute his tea with ice since it was too hot outside. The bartender accidentally used too much ice and ended up serving Blechynden an entire glass of it. Blechynden enjoyed the mistake so much that he began serving it at his tea house upon returning to Connecticut, and the drink soon became popular across the northeastern United States.
While it was gaining popularity in America in the early 20th century, hot tea was still more common Iced Tea. It wasn't until after World War II that it spread internationally as American culture gained global influence. Factors like American films and music promoted images of the refreshing drink, helping to popularize it around the world in the latter half of the 1900s. Today, its consumption has truly gone global, enjoyed in various forms across different cultures.
Types
Along with the spread of the basic recipe globally came various innovations and cultural adaptations. Some major types of tea include:
- Black Tea: Traditional black tea like English breakfast tea is the most common type used to make unsweetened iced tea in North America. Adding sugar or syrup makes it the signature Southern style "sweet tea."
- Green Tea: Green tea is a popular choice in Asian-influenced iced teas. Japanese-style iced green tea often contains steeped matcha powder for color and flavor. Thai-style uses crushed young green tea leaves.
- Herbal Tea: Herbal and fruit teas have also been adapted for iced varieties. Peppermint, lemon, peach and berry flavors are common internationally.
- Flavored Black Tea: Vanilla, peach, mango and other fruit flavors have become widespread on mass-produced it. Lemon or lime slices are a simple but classic flavor enhancer.
- Bubble Tea: Taiwanese bubble tea blends tea with fruit jellies, grains or puddings that can be sucked up through oversized straws. It has since spread globally as a novelty drink.
Popularity Across Cultures
American-style unsweetened and sweetened iced teas remain hugely popular in North America, frequently enjoyed as the beverage of choice on hot summer days. However, it has also found devoted fanbases in many other cultures thanks to localized adaptations:
In the UK, lemon or peach sliced iced teas sold in supermarkets have gained popularity for home refreshment and picnics outside in warm weather. Chain cafes sell specialty fruit teas on ice, sometimes with small fruit pieces mixed in.
East Asia embraces both green and oolong teas on ice. Japanese and Taiwanese cafes feature pretty presentations of iced green teas decorated with mint or fruit. Bubble tea shops flock city streets across Asia.
The Middle East finds enjoyment in sweetened fruit teas served over crushed ice, often with mint. Turkish baklava shops offer delicate teas matching their sweet treats.
South and Southeast Asia revel in herbaceous and spice-infused teas poured over ice, such as Thai orchid-lemongrass or masala chai varieties.
Globalization and mass media sharing of culinary trends means no region has a monopoly on tea enjoyment anymore. It has truly become one of the world's most popular chilled beverages.
Nutritional Benefits
While often consumed for refreshment rather than health, it does provide some notable nutritional perks:
- Antioxidants: Teas naturally contain beneficial antioxidants like flavonoids that can protect cells from free radical damage. Black, green and oolong teas are notable sources.
- Potential Lower Risk: Studies have linked daily tea drinkers to a potential lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers due to antioxidant effects, though research is still ongoing.
- Hydration: Iced tea counts as a hydrating beverage, containing water along with its other plant-based compounds and nutrients. It's lower in caffeine than coffee for comparable hydration.
- May Aid Mental Focus: Caffeine in black tea provides a mild boost that some find refreshing, while presence of antioxidants like L-theanine in green teas are tied to mental clarity.
For those watching calorie, sugar or artificial sweetener intake, unsweetened brews or those using natural lighteners like honey provide the most benefits with fewer concerns. But an occasional iced tea is undeniably enjoyable for body and soul on a warm day.
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Money Singh is a seasoned content writer with over four years of experience in the market research sector. Her expertise spans various industries, including food and beverages, biotechnology, chemical and materials, defense and aerospace, consumer goods, etc. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/money-singh-590844163)