China Black Recipe

Bring water to temperature

Bring 1 liter of fresh, filtered water to a gentle boil (about 95–100°C / 203–212°F).

Steep tea

Place 8 g loose-leaf black tea in a heatproof pitcher or teapot. Pour the boiling water over the tea leaves and steep for 4–5 minutes for a full-bodied black tea. Do not over-steep more than 6 minutes to avoid excessive bitterness.

Strain and cool

Strain the tea leaves out immediately into a clean pitcher. Allow the brewed tea to cool to room temperature for about 20–30 minutes, or use an ice-bath to speed cooling (place the pitcher into a bowl of ice water and stir occasionally).

Partial chilling with ice

To chill quickly without diluting the flavor too much, add about 1–2 cups of ice to the warm-but-not-hot tea and stir until the tea is chilled. Alternatively, refrigerate the strained tea until cold (about 1–2 hours).

Prepare flavoring

If using citrus peel (orange or lemon), gently bruise or grate about 5–10 g of peel and infuse it in 30–60 ml of hot water for 5 minutes, or add 10 ml of a prepared flavored syrup (vanilla, bergamot, orange, or spiced). For bergamot (Earl Grey style), use 4–6 drops of bergamot oil or 5–10 ml bergamot syrup, adjusted to taste.

Sweeten

Add 60 ml (about 2 fl oz) simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water) to the cooled tea and stir to dissolve. Adjust sweetness to taste — add up to 30 ml more for a sweeter iced tea. If using a flavored syrup, that can replace part or all of the simple syrup.

Combine flavor and tea

Mix the prepared flavor infusion or flavored syrup into the chilled tea. Taste and adjust balance: add more flavoring a few drops at a time, or more syrup if needed.

Serve over ice

Fill glasses with ice cubes (about 3/4 full). Pour the flavored black iced tea over the ice, leaving a small gap at the top for garnish.

Garnish and optional aromatics

Garnish each glass with a slice of lemon or orange and a sprig of fresh mint. If desired, squeeze the lemon wedge into the glass for a brighter finish.

Storage

Store any leftover tea in a sealed pitcher in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Re-stir before serving; add fresh ice when serving to avoid dilution in storage.