Tea Recipe

Bring water to a boil

Pour 4 cups water into a kettle or saucepan and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.

Prepare optional ginger

If using ginger, peel and slice the 1-inch piece thinly. Add the slices to the water just before it reaches a boil (or while boiling) to infuse a mild ginger note.

Steep tea

Remove the boiling water from heat. Add 4 black tea bags (or 4 teaspoons loose leaf in an infuser). Cover and let steep 3 to 5 minutes for a medium-strength cup; steep 2–3 minutes for lighter tea or 5–7 minutes for stronger/robust flavor. If using ginger, leave the slices in during steeping.

Remove tea and ginger

After steeping, remove the tea bags or strain out loose leaves and discard the ginger slices. Taste the brewed tea to determine sweetness and strength.

Sweeten hot (if serving sweet)

While the tea is still hot, stir in granulated sugar (up to 2 tablespoons) or honey (about 2 teaspoons) until fully dissolved. Adjust amount to taste — add a little more for sweeter tea. If you want unsweetened tea, skip this step.

Add milk (optional)

If making milk tea, warm or heat 1 cup milk (or milk alternative) gently and stir into the brewed tea to combine. Typical ratio: about 3 parts tea to 1 part milk; adjust to preference.

Add lemon or garnish

If using lemon, squeeze the 2 lemon slices into the tea and drop slices in for aroma. Garnish with fresh mint if desired.

Serve hot

Ladle or pour the hot tea into cups and serve immediately. Offer extra sugar, honey, milk, lemon, and mint on the side.

Make iced tea

To serve iced, let brewed tea cool to room temperature (about 20–30 minutes) or place in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes. Fill glasses with ice (about 1 cup per 2 glasses), pour cooled tea over ice, and add sweetener (which dissolves best when added while still slightly warm) or simple syrup if needed. Stir and garnish with lemon or mint.