I will confess that tamarind has long been one of those ingredients I’ve overlooked. Sure, it’s a mainstay in our Shrimp Pad Thai recipe, but what else can one do with it? Well, that mystery has been solved, because this tamarind iced tea is all you need this summer!
What is Tamarind?
Tamarind is a tree plant that produces edible pod-like fruit. These pods look like large, earthy brown pea pods. Inside is a tart, tangy pulp that lends itself well to sweet and savory applications in Mexican, Thai, Ghanaian, Caribbean, and Indian cuisines, among others.
You can make your own tamarind paste using fresh tamarind pods, but for ease, we call for tamarind concentrate. You can find it at Asian groceries and specialty stores.
Not only can fresh tamarind pods be harder to come by, the jarred concentrate will allow you to have a big pitcher of iced tea or any tamarind drink ready that much faster.
A Refreshing Summer Drink
Unsurprisingly, across most of those foodways, everyone came to the same realization that tamarind makes for an incredibly refreshing summer drink.
The tangy and tart sweetness, when mellowed with sugar and water, is just about perfection.
We’ve made ours with a little bit of iced tea and lemon to create a delicious summer refresher.
It’s great for sipping, but it’s even better with a big plate of noodles or something porky off the grill to go alongside it!
Tamarind Iced Tea Recipe Instructions
Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Turn off the heat, and add 4 tea bags. Steep for 20 minutes. You can let it sit longer if you need to make things in advance, but just be mindful that this can cause slight bitterness, so it’s best to remove the tea bags. Allow the tea to cool.
To your pitcher, add the brewed tea, 2 cups ice, lemon slices, tamarind concentrate, and your sweetener of choice.
We’ve offered ¼ cup as a starting point, but you should tailor it to your preferences for sweetness. We put ½ cup of honey in ours.
Stir thoroughly using a long wooden spoon.
And serve!
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Recipe
Tamarind Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 6 cups water (1400 ml)
- 4 black tea bags
- 2 cups ice
- 1 lemon (sliced into thin rounds)
- 1/2 cup tamarind concentrate or tamarind paste
- 1/4-1/2 cup simple syrup (to taste; can substitute honey or agave)
Instructions
- Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Turn off the heat, and add 4 tea bags. Steep for 20 minutes. You can let it sit longer if you need to make things in advance, but just be mindful that this can cause slight bitterness, so it’s best to remove the tea bags. Allow the tea to cool.
- To your pitcher, add the brewed tea, 2 cups ice, lemon slices, tamarind concentrate, and your sweetener of choice. We’ve offered ¼ cup as a starting point, but you should tailor it to your preferences for sweetness.
- Stir thoroughly using a long wooden spoon, and serve!
