Making Iced Tea with Citrus Cinnamon Green Tea
As I write this article, it is the beginning of summer. As the weather warms up for yet another iced tea season, now is a good time to expound upon Citrus Cinnamon, another original blend created by Joyce Country Cafe. Containing cinnamon chunks, orange peel and Jade Cloud green tea, it is great cold! Considered to be a true tea, it is crafted with the tea leaf Camellia sinensis. However, unlike most green teas, it has a darker, but yet surprisingly smooth flavor profile. In contrast to more grassy tasting green teas like Matcha, the earthy Jade Cloud green tea blends exceptionally well with the orange peel and cinnamon chunks, creating a truly enticing flavor.
To fully embrace this tea drinking experience, however, it helps to know how to steep the perfect cup of iced Citrus Cinnamon. To understand this, one needs to know how to properly create ice tea. The easiest method is to use the flash chill method, which can lead to a perfect balance of flavor without watering it down. This method can easily be explained in the following example with creating a 16 oz cup of iced Citrus Cinnamon:
Put two tablespoons of Citrus Cinnamon in a large infuser. Two tablespoons is equal to 16-ounces of tea.
Steep in 8 ounces of water heated between 160 and 176 °F up to four minutes. This creates a concentrate of Citrus Cinnamon.
After the allotted time, pour the tea into a 16-ounce container that is full of ice.
Now, you may be asking yourself, why is it best to make a concentrate? Why can’t I steep two tablespoons (16 ounces of tea) in 16 ounces of water? The simple answer is that by mixing a stronger concentrate of tea with ice, it will lead to a balanced cup of iced tea. By following this method, the tea will not be watered down too much, while retaining its flavor. This method may seem complicated at first, but one can better learn about the benefits of using the flash chill method with practice. This method is also less complicated than making iced tea with the cold brew method.
