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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Drinks / Hong Kong Iced Tea (香港凍檸茶)

    Hong Kong Iced Tea (香港凍檸茶)

    Posted: Feb 24, 2022 Last Modified: Mar 3, 2022 by Carmy · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Sweet and refreshing, this homemade version of Hong Kong Iced Tea is so easy to make with a few simple ingredients. Just like what you’d get at a Hong Kong cafe, this lemon iced tea is the perfect drink with any meal!

    If you’ve been to a Hong Kong cafe or diner (茶餐廳) or even an Asian supermarket that carries Vitasoy Lemon Tea Drink, then you’ll recognize this iconic Hong Kong style iced tea. It’s a classic drink that is a staple during the summer but it’s perfect year-round.

    A glass of hong kong lemon tea with a straw.

    A 茶餐廳 or a cha chaan teng is a type of restaurant commonly found in Hong Kong, Macau, and parts of Guangdong. In English, it translates to pretty much Hong Kong Style Cafes. In a way, they were like the OG fast food as the food was viewed as “cheap western food.” This iced tea is a staple and I always see it on the menu as an add-on or part of a combo.

    Recently, I’ve been spotting them on menus for my local bubble tea spots too so of course, in an effort to save myself $6-7 per drink, since I’m not close to any HK cafes, I decided to make it myself. HK cafes usually sell them for under $2 so the jump to $6-7 at a boba shop is going to be a hard pass for me. It’s relatively easy to make and quite cheap.

    A glass of hong kong lemon tea with a straw.

    Ingredients You’ll Need

    Ingredients needed to make hong kong iced tea.
    • oolong tea — when I was at Tiger Sugar, they had the option of selecting black tea or oolong tea. I prefer oolong for this Chinese iced tea but you’re welcome to experiment! I like using black tea for HK style milk tea instead. Recipe for that coming soon!
    • brown sugar — I like using muscovado sugar or dark brown sugar for Hong Kong lemon tea as it’s much sweeter than regular or light brown sugar. I’ve tried this with light brown sugar and it requires a lot more to get the same amount of sweetness that the diners have.
    • lemon — it must be fresh lemon. Part of the fun is using a straw to poke at the lemon slices as you drink to release more lemon flavour!

    How to Make Hong Kong Iced Tea

    • Oolong tea steeping.
    • Simple syrup made with brown sugar and water.
    • Steep a oolong tea bag in 2 cups of boiled filtered water for 10 minutes. Allow the tea to cool to room temperature naturally or help speed it up by transferring it to the fridge after steeping.
    • Meanwhile, combine the dark brown sugar with 6 tablespoons of filtered water and simmer until the sugar has fully dissolved. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes before setting it aside. Again, you can allow the simple syrup to cool to room temperature naturally or in the fridge.
    • Glass with ice and sliced lemons.
    • Glass of ice and lemon slices with oolong tea.
    • Sugar syrup added to the glass of tea and lemon slices.
    • In a glass, add in a handful of ice cubes and half of a lemon, sliced.
    • Add half of the tea to the glass. Then add half of the brown sugar simple syrup.
    • Stir to combine and repeat with the second glass!
    Glass of HK iced lemon tea.

    Recipe Tips and Notes

    • If you would like to double or triple the recipe, I recommend adding an additional tea bag.
    • If you only loose leaf tea, usually it’s 1 teaspoon loose leaf tea = 1 tea bag.
    • To make this ahead of time, you can combine the steeped tea with the simple syrup and keep in it an airtight container in the fridge (such as a large mason jar). Add the drink to a glass of ice and lemon the next day.
    • I don’t think oversteeping the tea for this lemon iced tea to be an issue. I’ve forgotten my tea steeping for a while as I cooked lunch and it tastes strong but good. However, if you don’t want this to be overly strong, step an alarm and stop steeping after 10 minutes.
    • Feel free to skip the ice if you don’t want the drink super cold.
    • Keep in mind that if your tea or syrup is too hot, the ice cubes will melt immediately and dilute the drink.
    • For another cafe classic, try my Hong Kong milk tea!
    Overhead view of a glass of hong kong iced tea.
    A glass of hong kong lemon tea with a straw.

    Hong Kong Iced Tea (香港凍檸茶)

    Sweet and refreshing, this homemade version of Hong Kong Iced Tea is so easy to make with a few simple ingredients. Just like what you'd get at a Hong Kong cafe, this lemon iced tea is the perfect drink with any meal!
    5 from 28 votes
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 20 mins
    Total Time: 20 mins
    Servings: 2 servings

    Ingredients

    For the Tea

    • 1 bag oolong tea
    • 2 cups boiled filtered water

    For the Simple Syrup

    • 5 tbsp dark brown sugar
    • 6 tbsp filtered water

    For Everything Else

    • 1 lemon, washed and sliced
    • ice cubes

    Instructions

    • Steep an oolong tea bag in 2 cups of boiled filtered water for 10 minutes. Allow the tea to cool to room temperature naturally or help speed it up by transferring it to the fridge after steeping.
    • Meanwhile, combine the dark brown sugar with 6 tablespoons of filtered water and simmer until the sugar has fully dissolved. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes before setting it aside. Again, you can allow the simple syrup to cool to room temperature naturally or in the fridge.
    • In a glass, add in a handful of ice cubes and half of a lemon, sliced. Add half of the tea to the glass. Then add half of the brown sugar simple syrup.
    • Stir to combine and repeat with the second glass!
    Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥

    Nutrition Per Serving

    Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg
    Author: Carmy
    Course: Drinks
    Cuisine: Chinese

    More Drinks to Try

    • Strawberry Matcha Latte
    • Iced Matcha Latte
    • Brown Sugar Milk Tea (Milk Tea Boba)
    • Vietnamese Iced Coffee
    • Homemade Banana Milk
    • Hojicha Bubble Tea 
    • Matcha Bubble Tea
    • Thai Bubble Tea
    • Taro Milk Tea

    Other places to connect with me
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    Email: [email protected]

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    Carmy is a healthy-ish living blogger based in Ontario. Here, you can find healthy-ish meal prep recipes, Instant Pot recipes, and lightened up family favourites! Follow along as she shares what she learns along the way!

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