Chica Iced Tea South American Style Food

PERFECT ICED TEA

Steps:

• Hot-Brewed:
• Bring 8 cups water to a simmer; remove from the heat and add 3 tablespoons loose tea or 6 tea bags. Let steep about 4 minutes, until it's the strength you like. Strain loose tea with a fine-mesh sieve or remove the tea bags. Let cool, then transfer to a pitcher, cover and refrigerate.
• Cold-Brewed:
• Combine 8 cups cold water and 6 tablespoons loose tea or 10 tea bags in a pitcher. Cover and refrigerate 15 to 36 hours, until it's the strength you like. Strain loose tea with a fine-mesh sieve or remove the tea bags.
• Sweet Teas:
• Combine 3/4 cup each sugar and water in a saucepan and add 1 infuser, if desired. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then remove from the heat and let cool. Strain the infused syrup through a fine-mesh sieve (you'll get about 1 cup).
• Orange Add 6 strips zest
• Blackberries 1 cup
• Cinnamon 2 sticks
• Lavender 3 tablespoons dried
• Vanilla 1 halved bean
• Mint 3 sprigs
• Ginger 1 cup sliced
• Lemon 8 strips zest
• Nectarine 1 cup chopped
• Cucumber 2 cups chopped

CHICA ICED TEA (SOUTH AMERICAN STYLE)

Steps:

• Place the tea bag(s) in an iced tea jar or large pitcher. Pour the boiling water over the tea bag and let steep for at least 5 minutes.
• While tea steeps, muddle the limes and the sugar in a medium bowl, until the sugar dissolves and the lime releases its juice.
• After steeping, remove tea bags from the jar.
• Carefully add the lime/sugar mixture using a large spoon. Stir well to combine.
• Add the pomegranate juice and chill for at least 1 hour.
• Just before serving, add the rum and stir to incorporate.
• Serve over ice.

CHICA ICED TEA

Steps:

• Place the tea bag(s) in an iced tea jar or large pitcher. Pour the boiling water over the tea bag and let steep for at least 5 minutes.
• While tea steeps, muddle the limes and the sugar in a medium bowl, until the sugar dissolves and the lime releases its juice.
• After steeping, remove tea bags from the jar. Carefully add the lime/sugar mixture using a large spoon. Stir well to combine. Add the pomegranate juice and chill for at least 1 hour.
• Just before serving, add the rum and stir to incorporate. Serve over ice.

ICED CHAI

Steps:

• Coarsely crush cardamom pods with a mortar and pestle, then partially grind seeds. Transfer to a plate. Grind peppercorns with mortar and pestle until about medium-coarse; transfer to same plate.
• Rinse a medium pot (about 9" diameter) with water (this helps keep the milk from scorching). Combine milk, cardamom pods and seeds, pepper, and ginger in pot and bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, scraping sides and bottom of pot occasionally with a heatproof rubber spatula. When foam starts to rise, cook 20 seconds, scraping spices from sides of pot (some plant-based milks won't foam; simply cook 30 seconds from boiling). Reduce heat to low to allow foam to die down, then increase heat to medium-low and simmer, scraping bottom and sides of pot occasionally and adjusting heat as need to keep foam from rising, until milk is light tan in color from spices, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in tea and simmer, scraping pot occasionally and adjusting heat as needed, until milk is deep tan and reduced by one third, about 4 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring glass, pressing on solids with spatula. (Soak pot in hot water immediately to help with cleaning.) You should have 2 cups chai concentrate; return chai to pot and simmer another minute to reduce further if needed. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
• Place ice in a large heatproof bowl with a spout or a large heatproof pitcher. Immediately pour hot chai over ice. Stir until ice is almost completely melted (larger cubes may take longer), about 2 minutes. Taste chai and add up to 2 Tbsp. cold water or 1 Tbsp. simple syrup (dissolve 2-4 tsp. sugar in 2 tsp. warm water) if needed. Serve in glasses filled with fresh ice if desired.
• Do ahead: Chai can be made 3 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill.