Shaved ice black tea is a delicious and simple beverage. Making it at home is convenient, affordable, and the ultimate way to cool down in the summer. Every shop has its own recipe and ratio, and you can easily adjust the tea’s strength to your preference when making it at home. Here is how to make it:
Ingredients: Two commercially available 65g black tea bags, preferably Assam black tea. If you prioritize quality, you can also use Taiwanese Assam black tea or Honey Black Tea for an even better flavor profile. You will also need 400g of raw brown sugar and 4,000g of crushed ice.
Brewing the Tea: Bring 3,000 cc of water to a boil, add the two 65g tea bags (or 130g of loose tea leaves), turn off the heat, cover, and steep for about 10 minutes before removing the tea leaves. Meanwhile, dissolve the raw brown sugar in water to make simple syrup and set aside. Finally, mix the brewed black tea with the sugar syrup.
Combining Tea and Crushed Ice: Pour the crushed ice into the black tea. Be sure not to dump all the ice in at once; the ideal ratio for shaved ice black tea leaves about 1/3 of the crushed ice unmelted. This ensures a great texture while keeping the drink cold for longer. If it’s not sweet enough, you can adjust the syrup ratio next time or add fructose to taste.
Aside from the quality of the tea, the most important factor in shaved ice black tea is the amount of crushed ice. Remember to use crushed ice rather than standard ice cubes, as crushed ice gives the drink a better mouthfeel. You can also add cassia seeds or roasted barley tea for a nostalgic, old-school flavor.