Hong Kong Style Iced Lemon Tea

Iced Lemon Tea is a menu staple when it comes to Hong Kong diners (right up there with the Hong Kong Style Milk Tea, hot or iced).  There’s something blissfully refreshing about this drink in its simplicity, and it’s so good to quench your thirst when it’s hot out – which makes it a perfect drink basically year round in Hong Kong (hello, tropics). But as someone who spends her time in Canada, it’s less of an annual stable and more of a seasonal enjoyment.

Hong Kong Iced Lemon Tea is a great drink to serve at a barbecue, to bring along a picnic, or to enjoy all to yourself while reading a book in a hammock. The real reason why this recipe makes a large volume – so you can always refill your glass.

Hong Kong Style Iced Lemon Tea – Serves 4-5

4 tablespoons black tea¹
1500mL boiling water (100°C/212°F)
2 tablespoons Simple Syrup²
1 lemon, sliced³
Ice

¹ I would recommend choosing Chinese black tea, I opted for an Orange Pekoe from China.
² See recipe below for an easy way to make simple syrup.
³ Wash the outside of the lemon, as the slices will be used in the drink.

Steep the black tea in the boiling water for 5 minutes, remove or strain out tea leaves.
Stir in Simple Syrup – add more to taste if you don’t find it sweet enough to your taste.
Allow tea to cool to room temperature.
Slice lemon, remove the seeds.
Fill glass with lemon slices and ice.
Pour in cooled tea.
Serve with a spoon, this allows the drinker to squeeze the slices at their leisure to add more lemon flavour.

Super Simple Simple Syrup Method

Combine equal parts sugar and boiled water from a kettle in a bowl.
Mix until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Set aside to cool.

If you make this Hong Kong Iced Lemon Tea, I’d love to see your photos! Be sure to tag me on Instagram (@onemoresteep #onemoresteep) or comment below with a link to the photo!

Lavender Matcha Lemonade

When life provides you with lemonades in the form of a sale at the grocery store, you buy them and then decide what to do with them! There’s just something bright and refreshing about the scent of lemons, or any citrus really, and while I greatly enjoy lemonade plainly, I have been known to couple it with tea in the past. That and the surplus of lavender buds that I have in my possession in the form of a lavender simple syrup, I decide to combine the two together… plus some matcha.

Lavender Matcha Lemonade – Serves 2

Lemonade
2 tablespoons Lavender Simple Syrup (see recipe below)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups water

4 teaspoons matcha
½ cup water
Ice cubes
Lemon wedge for garnish
Lavender buds for garnish

Mix Lavender Simple Syrup, water, and lemon juice.
Sift matcha and prepare with water (use a whisk & bowl, shaker bottle, mason jar, etc.)
Add ice cubes to each glass.
Add half the lavender lemonade to each glass.
Add half the prepared matcha to each glass.
Garnish with lemon wedge and lavender buds, as desired.

Lavender Simple Syrup Recipe & Directions

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons lavender buds

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat.
Allow mixture to come to a simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Turn off heat and allow the simple syrup to cool.
Pour simple syrup into a jar or container, use a sieve to strain out lavender buds.

Store Lavender Simple Syrup in your fridge for up to 2 weeks.

 

If you make this Lavender Matcha Lemonade, I’d love to see your photos! Be sure to tag me on Instagram (@onemoresteep #onemoresteep) or comment below with a link to the photo!

Pin this recipe for later!

Iced Lavender Matcha Latte

There’s just something nice about having a nice cup of iced tea in the summer time, especially when it’s sweltering hot outside and you’re trying to find some relief in the shade. I’m all for pairing some matcha with something floral, especially if it winds up tasting good and the lavender and matcha combination did not disappoint!

Iced Lavender Matcha Latte – Serves 1

2 teaspoons matcha
100ml warm water
1 tablespoon Lavender Simple Syrup (see recipe below)
200ml milk
Ice

In the matcha preparing vessel of your choice, prepare the matcha powder with water.
Once mixed, stir in Lavender Simple Syrup.
In a glass, add ice cubes, followed by sweetened matcha.
Top with milk product of your choice (I use unsweetened organic soy milk).
Garnish with lavender buds.

It takes a bit of effort to make that Lavender Simple Syrup – but it’s so worth it to get that floral flavour into your drinks! I use the same Lavender Simple Syrup in my London Fog (Earl Grey Latte) recipe.

Lavender Simple Syrup Recipe & Directions

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons lavender buds

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat.
Allow mixture to come to a simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Turn off heat and allow the simple syrup to cool.
Pour simple syrup into a jar or container, use a sieve to strain out lavender buds.

Store Lavender Simple Syrup in your fridge for up to 2 weeks.

If you make this Iced Lavender Matcha Latte, I’d love to see your photos! Be sure to tag me on Instagram (@onemoresteep #onemoresteep) or comment below with a link to the photo!