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Iced tea is a form of cold tea. Though usually served in a glass with ice, it can refer to any tea that has been chilled or cooled. It may be sweetened with sugar, syrup and/or apple slices. Iced tea is also a popular packaged drink. It can be mixed with flavored syrup, with multiple common flavors including lemon, raspberry, lime, passion fruit, peach, orange, strawberry, and cherry.

History

The first recorded iced tea recipe was published in 1879 in a community cookbook called Housekeeping in Old Virginia, by Marion Cabell Tyree. This recipe called for green tea to be boiled and steeped all day, then the tea was filled into pitchers and sweetened with two cups of sugar and finally poured over ice cubes or cracked ice, which chilled it and diluted the strong, bitter taste.

Preparation

There are various methods for the preparation of iced tea. In addition to traditional iced tea, sweet tea, a form of iced tea commonly consumed in the southern United States, is brewed very strong with a large amount of sugar added while the tea is still hot. The mixture of sugar and tea is then cooled with ice and served over ice.

Health effects

Like all tea, iced tea contains antioxidants. The amount of antioxidants in tea can vary widely depending on how the tea is brewed. The health benefits of drinking tea, including iced tea, are largely due to its antioxidant content.

Commercial iced tea

Commercial iced teas have been a major part of American culture since the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. During a heat wave, Englishman Richard Blechynden, who had intended to give away hot tea, tried serving the beverage cold instead, and it was an instant success.

See also

• Tea
• Sweet tea
• Lemonade
• Arnold Palmer (drink)