Hong Kong Iced Lemon Tea

Before you start

Iced lemon tea is a staple of Hong Kong cafés. Strong black tea is chilled, then poured over a stack of thin lemon slices that the drinker presses and pounds with a long spoon to release juice and peel oil. Sugar syrup is served on the side so each person sweetens to taste.

What makes it work is strong, clear tea and fresh lemon oil. Ceylon tea is the usual base because it stays bright and clean when cold. The lemon slices must be thin, so pounding breaks them open without crushing too much of the bitter white pith. Pound just until the drink smells strongly of lemon, then stop.

Ingredients

• 6 g (1 tbsp) Ceylon black tea — or 3 tea bags
• 250 ml (1 cup) water — boiling
• 4 to 5 thin lemon slices — about 2 mm thick, seeds removed
• 20 to 30 ml (¾ to 1 oz) simple syrup (1:1)
• 1 cup ice cubes

Method

1. Steep the tea in the boiling water for 4 minutes. Strain it and let it cool to room temperature, then chill if you have time.
2. Wash the lemon and cut it into slices about 2 mm thick. Remove the seeds, which taste bitter when crushed.
3. Stack the lemon slices in the bottom of the tall glass and add the syrup.
4. Fill the glass with ice and pour in the cold tea.
5. Serve with a long spoon. Press and pound the lemon slices against the bottom of the glass 8 to 10 times, until the drink smells of lemon oil and the slices are broken. Stir and taste; add more syrup if it is too sharp.

Tips for success

• Thin-skinned lemons give more juice and less pith. Meyer lemons are softer and sweeter, but they do not have the same sharp aroma.
• Make a jug of strong tea in the morning and keep it in the fridge. It stays clear and is ready for several drinks.
• Pound gently and stop early. Each extra crush releases more bitterness from the white pith.

Substitutions

Ceylon tea

English breakfast or Assam give a darker, maltier drink. Green tea makes a lighter version; steep it at 80°C (175°F) for 3 minutes.

Simple syrup

Honey syrup adds a floral note and pairs nicely with lemon. Rock sugar syrup is traditional in some cafés and tastes cleaner.

Lemon

Lime gives a sharper, more aromatic drink. Use 3 slices, because lime peel is more bitter.

Variations

Hot lemon tea

Pour freshly brewed tea over the lemon slices in a mug, skip the ice and sweeten with sugar.

Honey lemon tea with lime

Use 3 lemon and 1 lime slice with honey syrup for a sharper, more fragrant version.

Troubleshooting

The drink tastes bitter

You pounded too much pith or left in the seeds. Use thinner slices, remove seeds and stop pounding as soon as the aroma is strong.

The tea is cloudy

Tea poured hot over ice can cloud as compounds come out of solution. Cool it first, or chill it slowly in the refrigerator.

It tastes weak

Brew stronger tea; the ice and lemon juice dilute it. Use 6 g of tea for 250 ml and steep the full 4 minutes.

Storage

Brewed tea keeps in a covered jug in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Add lemon slices only when serving; pounded lemon turns bitter as it sits. Simple syrup keeps refrigerated for 2 to 4 weeks.

Safety notes

Black tea contains caffeine; the FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects for most healthy adults.