Hong Kong lemon tea 港式檸檬茶(gong sik ling mong cha) or iced lemon tea 凍檸茶 (dong ling cha) is an extremely popular beverage in Hong Kong. Most say it originated in Britain and some say it’s from Russia. But wherever it’s from, Hong Kong has made it its own.
There’s nothing like drinking a glass of refreshing iced tea with fresh lemon slices on a hot summer’s day. Hong Kong lemon tea 港式檸檬茶 is generally made using a black tea like orange pekoe or Ceylon or a combination of both. Black teas are typically smoother, have a bolder colour and has a very distinct tea taste. Consequently, it’s perfect for adding other flavours like lemon or milk. All Hong Kong style western tea beverages are more on the strong side in terms of tea flavour. It’s a good thing that black teas have less caffeine than other teas!
I grew up on western iced tea powders and sweetened iced tea drinks which are still one of my guilty pleasures. Now that I'm old, I'm also appreciating the natural tea flavours with fresh lemons. It's a bit more work, but it makes me feel good about keeping my inside clean. I literally imagine that the lemon is cleaning out my arteries! Don't know if it's true, but I like that thought! My son even likes it when I add ginger to it! His palette is much more mature than mine when I was his age. My sister actually teases him about him having the palette of a 60 year old at 13!
Hong Kong lemon tea 港式檸檬茶 is usually served at Hong Kong cafes where they offer western dishes with a Chinese flare. You can find a recipe for Baked Pork Chop on Rice on my website which would be the perfect accompaniment; or maybe it’s the other way around! Now that I’m getting older, I can no longer drink the iced lemon teas from the Hong Kong cafes because they’re too strong and keeps me up at night. However, when I make it myself, I can control the amount of tea to make the perfect cup for me! And now you can too!
Hong Kong Lemon Tea 港式檸檬茶
Ingredients
- 1-2 bags Orange Pekoe, Ceylon or Earl Grey tea (if using loose leaf tea, use 1 tbsp tea leaves)
For iced lemon tea, I suggest using 2 tea bags - 330 ml Water (95˚C or 203˚F)
- 4 slices Lemon
- 30 ml Simple syrup (one part sugar to one part water. Heat water, add sugar, stir until sugar dissolves)
Instructions
- Heat 350ml of water in a pot to 95˚C or 203˚F, turn off heat, add tea, cover.
- Turn the heat back on to simmer for 5 minutes and then turn the heat off again without uncovering. Let the tea steep for a total of 15 minutes
The key is to maintain the temperature at around 90˚C or 194˚F without going over 95˚C or 203˚F - Wash lemon and slice
- Prepare a container, preferably with a spout for tea pulling (I use a glass measuring cup). Pour the liquid from the pot into the measuring cup and then pour the liquid back into the pot at a bit of a distance without spilling any. Do this 4 times. Remove and Discard teabags or tea leaves
Tea pulling results in a smoother tea texture - Pour the tea into a cup, put lemon slices into the tea and add simple syrup
- If you are making iced lemon tea, wait for tea to cool before pouring it onto the ice
how long do we cover the tea in hot water for in step 1?
Hi Jeanette, after you cover it with a lid, you can turn the heat back on to simmer. I had you turn off the heat to add the tea leaves so that you wouldn't get burned by the steam. Hope the tea turns out well for you!
This Hong Kong style lemon tea tastes perfect 🙂 thank you for the receipe.
Hi Yoshi, thanks for trying the recipe! I also like to add less tea and then add 7up!