Lychee Jasmine Recipe
Sweet and floral tea infused with jasmine and lychee.
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Tea
Lychee Syrup
Assembly & Garnish
Method
Tea
- 1
Bring and cool water
Bring 4 cups of water to near boiling. For jasmine green tea, let it cool about 1 minute off the heat (target ~80–85°C / 175–185°F).
- 2
Steep tea
Place 4 jasmine tea bags in a heatproof pitcher. Pour the hot water over the tea bags and cover. Steep for 3 minutes — do not oversteep to avoid bitterness. After 3 minutes, remove the tea bags, gently pressing once to extract liquid. Let the brewed tea cool to room temperature (about 15–20 minutes) or chill in the fridge until cold.
Lychee Syrup
- 3
Prep lychees
Drain the canned lychees, reserving about 120 ml of the canned syrup/juice. Set the drained fruit aside (reserve a few whole/halved for garnish).
- 4
Cook syrup
In a small saucepan combine the reserved 120 ml lychee syrup/juice and 2 tbs granulated sugar. Warm over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture just comes to a simmer (2–3 minutes).
- 5
Mash and simmer
Add the drained lychee pieces to the pan. Use a fork or potato masher to lightly mash about one-third of the fruit to release more flavor, leaving the rest mostly whole for texture. Simmer gently 3–5 minutes to meld flavors and slightly thicken. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tbs lemon juice if using. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
- 6
Strain (optional)
For a smooth syrup, strain the cooled mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl or jar, pressing solids to extract liquid; reserve any strained fruit for garnish. If you prefer a pulpy drink, skip straining and use the mixture as-is.
Assembly & Garnish
- 7
Combine tea and syrup
In the pitcher with cooled jasmine tea, add 1/2 cup (about 120 ml) of the prepared lychee syrup mixture and stir to combine. Taste and adjust: add up to another 2–4 tablespoons of syrup if you prefer sweeter/more lychee-forward tea.
- 8
Chill or serve over ice
If the tea is still warm, chill in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes. To serve immediately, fill glasses with ice (about 1/2 cup ice per glass) and pour the lychee jasmine tea over the ice.
- 9
Garnish and finish
Add a fresh mint sprig and one halved or whole lychee to each glass. Optionally add a lime slice for brightness. Stir gently and serve cold.
- 10
Storage
Store any leftover tea and remaining lychee syrup in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Stir before serving; add fresh ice when ready to drink.
