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The history of iced tea

Iced tea is a popular beverage in the United States and is becoming more popular in other countries, although it will probably never reach the level of American consumption. Surveys have shown that about 2.2 billion gallons of tea are consumed in the US each year, and at least 85 percent of the total is iced. With a wide variety of options for their frozen drinks, such as powdered, canned and bottled for a quick pick-me-up, and the traditional bagged or loose-leaf beverage, people in the United States have shown their love for this delicious beverage. .

For many years, it was believed that iced tea was first introduced at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. A man named Richard Blechynden, who was the Tea Commissioner for India, was also the director of the Pavilion of the East Indies. at the fair. Mr. Blechynden had prepared samples of hot tea for fairgoers and noticed that no one was taking advantage of them as it was an unusually hot day and everyone was looking for the coldest drinks they could find. He had the idea of ​​freezing his hot mixture and thus presented it to the public. The crowd loved it and word spread about this delicious way to enjoy a healthy drink. Blechynden didn’t invent the frozen version, but he did make it more popular with Americans.

However, this was not the first time the frozen drink had been available in the United States. Rewind to the 1800s. Cookbooks from that era prove that the frozen drink was popular served in punches and made with green leaves, not black leaves. Sugar and plenty of liquor were added to these, and they were given interesting names in keeping with the times. The popularity of these punches continued into the mid-19th century, and the names given to them began to have regional as well as patriotic significance.

The 18th century also saw the beginning of refrigeration as we know it today. First it was the ice house. Then came the hielera, the first refrigerator, which was patented in 1830. The ice trays kept the contents cold, and an ice delivery man delivered them several times a week. Iced tea became even more popular as the availability of ice and a form of refrigeration became available to everyone. “Tea Punch” was still popular for parties and gatherings, now made with black leaves and green leaves, white sugar, heavy cream, and claret or champagne, and is usually served cold.

A recipe for the frozen drink appears in a Southern cookbook published in 1879, and it is prepared in a manner similar to the way many people prepare it today, except no sugar is added while the mixture is hot from preparation. , the moment when it dissolves better. Other recipes from 1884 and 1890 make it clear that people had been enjoying the frozen drink before 1890. Lemon was, and still is, very popular in the frozen mix.

In fact, lemon has been used in iced tea since the first glass was served in this country! What we know today as “refrigerator tea” was known as “refrigerator tea” when it became popular around 1890. In 1893, the Chicago World’s Fair sold the iced variety as well as lemonade. Business was brisk, with over $2,000 being earned from sales.

In 1904, the World’s Fair was held in St. Louis. For a long time, historians thought that iced tea was invented at this fair, but later research proved them wrong. The fair made the frozen drink more popular, as the crowd greatly enjoyed its free samples served by Richard Blechynden, and fairgoers are believed to have returned home and spread the word about how delicious and refreshing it is. iced tea at the fair. had been. As people from all over the country attended the fair, word traveled to both coasts and far and wide, as after 1904, the popularity of iced tea grew. When World War I became a reality, people bought special tall glasses known as “ice tea” glasses, long stirring spoons, and lemon forks.

During Prohibition, iced tea became even more popular as people had no choice but to seek alternative beverages to the beer, wine, and alcohol they had consumed. A recipe published in another Southern cookbook contained the recipe for iced tea that was used in the South for decades and is still used in some Southern kitchens today.

The bag was also invented in 1904. A Boston merchant sent samples to his customers in little silk bags. When he discovered that people brewed the leaves without taking them out of the bags so they didn’t have to deal with loose tea leaves, the bag as we know it today was born.

At the time of World War II, Americans had no way of obtaining green tea, as the usual sources were prohibited from dealing with the United States. All the leaves had to come from India, and they were black. When the war ended, people in America were drinking almost 99% black, and that trend stayed the same until recently, when green came back into fashion.

It has been estimated that 60% of all tea drunk in the United States is consumed in the South, and about 90% is frozen. In fact, iced tea is so beloved in the South that it has been dubbed the “House Wine of the South.” Southerners believe in heavily sweetening their drink, and the habit has spread to other parts of the country, where this concoction is known simply as “sweet tea.” Lemon and mint, as well as whiskey, are popular additions to Southern-style sundaes.

Iced tea has become popular in recent years as a mixed drink called “Arnold Palmer” or “Half and Half.” It consists of half sweetened iced tea and half lemonade, which makes it an even sweeter drink than usual, but also with a little sour note. A half and a half can also be half unsweetened and half sweetened tea, which eliminates the super sweet taste of most southern drinks. In the Southeast, this is commonly known as “Chris Rock” as this comedian hailed from South Carolina.

Bags remain a popular means of brewing iced tea, primarily because of convenience and low price. However, more and more people are turning to loose leaves for their iced teas due to the wide range of flavors and the fact that loose leaf brews have a fuller, richer flavor and are also generally of higher quality.

No matter how it’s made, iced tea is here to stay!