Maya Iced Tea Recipe
Make Maya Iced Tea Recipe in just 45m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Tea & Infusion
Sweetener Syrup
Garnish & Serve
Method
Tea & Infusion
- 1
Bring water to temperature
Pour 8 cups of water into a large pot and bring to a rolling boil. Once boiling, remove the pot from heat and let sit 30 seconds so water is just off the boil.
- 2
Add tea and aromatics
Add 6 tbs loose black tea (or 6 tea bags), 1/2 cup dried hibiscus petals, 2 cinnamon sticks, and the zest of 1 orange to the hot water. Stir gently to combine.
- 3
Steep
Cover the pot and steep for 7–8 minutes for a balanced strength. (Steep less if you prefer a milder tea; longer will yield stronger, more tannic tea and more hibiscus tartness.)
- 4
Strain
Strain the infusion through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a heatproof pitcher or bowl, discarding solids. Let the strained tea cool 5–10 minutes until warm but not piping hot.
- 5
Add lime juice
While the tea is warm (not boiling), juice 1 lime (about 2–3 tbs) and stir the juice into the tea. Adding citrus while warm helps the flavors meld but preserves brightness better than adding while very hot.
Sweetener Syrup
- 6
Combine syrup ingredients
In a small saucepan combine 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup water (for syrup), and 2 tbs panela or dark brown sugar.
- 7
Dissolve and simmer
Heat the syrup mixture over medium heat, stirring until the sugars dissolve. Bring to a gentle simmer for 2–3 minutes to marry flavors, then remove from heat. Do not over-reduce — you want a pourable simple syrup.
- 8
Combine syrup with tea
Pour the warm syrup into the warm strained tea and stir until fully incorporated. Taste and adjust sweetness: add up to 2–4 tbs more syrup (or sugar) if you prefer sweeter iced tea.
- 9
Cool
Allow the sweetened tea to cool to room temperature (about 10–15 minutes). For faster chilling, place the container in an ice bath and stir occasionally.
Garnish & Serve
- 10
Prepare glassware and ice
Fill a large pitcher or individual serving glasses with 4 cups of ice. If you plan to refrigerate instead of using ice, skip adding ice to the pitcher now and chill in the refrigerator for 30–60 minutes.
- 11
Slice fruit and bruise mint
Slice 1 orange and 1 lime into rounds or half-moons. Gently clap or bruise 12 mint leaves between your palms to release aroma.
- 12
Assemble the drink
Pour the cooled tea over the ice in the pitcher or glasses. Add the orange and lime slices and the bruised mint leaves. Stir gently to combine and distribute fruit and mint.
- 13
Serve
Serve immediately over ice. If you chilled the tea in the refrigerator instead, add ice to glasses before pouring. Optionally garnish each glass with an extra mint sprig and an orange wheel.
