Lychee iced tea is a refreshing drink made with fragrant jasmine tea and sweet lychees.
While in Vegas, I ordered lychee iced tea from Din Tai Fung. Since my beverage options are limited to non alcoholic drinks, I was excited to try something different.
It was light, refreshing, and not too sweet. I wanted to recreate it at home and have it as one of our staple drink options.
Ingredients
3 Easy Steps
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and turn off the heat. Add the tea bags and let the tea steep for 10 minutes.
- Remove the tea bags and add a can of lychee with syrup and sugar. Mix until sugar is dissolved.
- Refrigerate until cold and enjoy!
Tips to Make the Best Lychee Iced Tea
- Make this a day ahead to let the flavors come together.
- Serve with lychee iced tea cubes so the drink doesn't get watered down.
- Adjust the sugar to your taste and use alternative sweeteners as desired.
- Garnish with mint leaves for some color.
FAQs
What is lychee?
Lychee is a tropical fruit native to southeast China. The reddish pink exterior has a rough texture while the inside bears white flesh with a seed. The texture is similar to a grape.
What does lychee taste like?
Lychee is sweet and floral with a bit of tartness.
What is jasmine tea?
Jasmine tea is usually made with green tea but can also be made with black or white tea. It is scented with jasmine flowers for a slightly sweet and fragrant tea.
Can I use a different tea?
I love using jasmine tea for this recipe for its floral notes but feel free to use your favorite black tea, matcha, or herbal tea. I bet this would work really well with chrysanthemum tea.
Can I use fresh lychees?
I'm usually a proponent of fresh ingredients, but in this case canned lychee in syrup works better because of the lychee infused syrup needed for the iced tea. Canned lychee is also easier to find in store and online and is available all year round. It also allows you to avoid the prep work of peeling and deseeding fresh lychees.
How long can I store lychee iced tea?
The iced tea should be good up to one week in the fridge.
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Lychee Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- 8 bags jasmine green tea
- 20 oz can lychee in syrup
- ½ cup sugar
- fresh lychees optional
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil and turn off the heat. Add the tea bags and let the tea steep for 10 minutes.
- Remove the tea bags and add a can of lychee with syrup and sugar. Mix until the sugar is dissolved.
- Refrigerate until cold and happy nomming!
Notes
- Make this a day ahead to let the flavors come together.
- Serve with lychee iced tea cubes so the iced tea doesn't get watered down.
- Adjust the sugar to your taste and use alternative sweeteners as desired.
Drl says
I omitted adding any extra sugar and only used a little of the canned lychee syrup as sweetener-that was PLENTY sweet. A great authentic jasmine green tea brand is Ito En, a brand from Japan that you can find in any Japanese grocery or from Amazon-Much better than any American brand as those tend to be weak flavored.