Who invented iced tea in history?

Let's find out together what happened to iced tea throughout history, let's explore together what it went through until it became so famous today.

Richard Blechynden was a British merchant who is credited with popularizing iced tea. Blechynden sold iced tea at the 1904 World's Fair, after which the drink attained nationwide recognition.

In fact, the history of tea dates back to the years before Christ. So much so that, according to a rumor, the first BC. It is said that in 2737, Chinese Emperor Shen-Nung discovered the flavor of tea leaves accidentally dropped into water. The commercial transportation of tea, which has been consumed in and around China for many years, to Europe and America takes the 1700s and even the 1800s.

What about iced tea?

Although the history of tea dates back to BC, the history of iced tea is surprisingly recent. In the 1800s, some English and American cookbooks say that tea could be served as a cold drink.

According to many food historians, the popularity of iced tea parallels the development of the refrigerator. Giant boxes, formerly known as "ice houses" or "ice boxes" and were used commercially only for ice production, only started to become popular in the middle of the 19th century. In 1803, these ice boxes were first replaced by refrigerators similar to current refrigerators, and this invention became common in the middle of the 19th century.

An iced tea recipe is found in the book "The Kentucky Housewife", published in 18839, with refrigerators becoming more well-known. However, this iced tea is not one of the popular iced teas nowadays. In the recipe written by Ms. Lettie Bryanon, strong-flavored tea leaves are normally brewed with hot water, then filtered and separated from the leaves. The resulting tea is mixed with sugar. Then the cream is added into it and it continues to be mixed slowly. After cooling, it is filled into bottles and stored or served. In the service recommendation, it is said that those who wish can re-boil the mixture in the bottle and consume it hot, while those who wish can mix it directly and consume it cold.

The first known iced tea recipe, prepared just like the present one, is in the book "Housekeeping in Old Virginia" written by Marion Cabell Tyree in 1879. Iced tea, which was consumed mostly by the nobles until that time, is of historical importance as it was first published in a book known as the "people's cookbook". In this book, iced tea comes up with a recipe that more people can drink. According to this recipe, green tea is left in water that has been boiled the day before and infused for 1 day. (It is recommended that those who want to drink the tea at dinner should prepare it in the morning.) The next day, ice and two teaspoons of sugar are poured into the glasses to the brim, and finally, cold green tea, which has been brewed for 1 day and filtered, is added. It is said that those who want to make it more delicious and healthy can also squeeze a few drops of lemon into the tea. The first written iced tea recipe in history is prepared in these few simple steps.

However, even after this book, iced tea is not a preferred beverage. These iced teas are not seen as an alternative to coffee, and because granulated sugar was an expensive food at that time, these recipes could not find their way in the kitchen of the people. Then the first recipe prepared with black tea, which we know more commonly today, is printed. This iced tea recipe, which is known to be the most used recipe to date, is D.A., the director of Boston Cooking School. Mary Lincoln's book What to Do and Not to Do While Cooking explains briefly on page 112: Brew black tea, strain the leaves and cool. When it reaches the coldness ready to serve, put crushed ice in the glasses first, then a slice of lemon and fill the tea. Thanks to this recipe, which is prepared without the use of sugar, iced tea is still consumed by more people, but it is still not considered a commercial product.

Until the 1900s. In 1904 St. A "World's Fair" is being held in St. As the fair dates coincide with very hot weather, the participants are also affected. Realizing this and being one of the participants, Richard Blechynden, the owner of the tea plantation, instead of serving the teas hot for tasting, starts to serve them free of charge by adding ice to them by adding a straw. With the effect of hot weather and being free, these iced teas suddenly become the most popular product of the fair, and the commercial life of iced tea begins. So much so that although there are recipes dating back to much older dates, many sources claim that the inventor of iced tea is Richard Blechynden. It is said that Richard Blechynden took the straw apparatus to New York and advertised it in Bloomingdale after the great interest he received thanks to the iced tea he served with a straw at the fair.

After that day, iced tea, which has been seen as a commercial product all over the world, has started to enter all houses gradually, both with the ready-made bottled iced teas released by many brands, and with the powdered iced tea mixtures they produce, as well as the recipe books, and it has survived to the present day.