The summer heat needs something cold, and iced tea is that easy win. Picture your favourite herbs, a little natural sweetness and plenty of ice coming together in one refreshing sip.
It works for visitors, and it always looks good on the table. This summer, keep a jug in the fridge and your glasses ready.
The chef and founder of Marshall’s Kitchen, Marshall Booysen from Manenberg in Cape Town, says iced tea needs a few simple tips to help you enjoy different flavours.
He says the key is to make it ahead of time, from six to one hour before serving, so you get a clean taste. You should balance the tea with herbs so the flavours complement each other. “Adding acidity, like lemon or lime, brightens the flavour of iced tea.”
Sweetness also matters, he says, and you can use honey or syrup because they dissolve easily. Booysen adds that a little cold time keeps the flavours fresh.
One last thing, he says, is presentation. Nobody wants a boring glass of iced tea, so garnish it well with mint, citrus, berries or cucumber ribbons.
Chef Marshall Booysen’s floral citrus rooibos cooler
Ingredients (Makes 2 litres)
- 4 rooibos tea bags (or 4 tsp loose rooibos)
- 1 tbsp dried hibiscus petals
- ½ tsp dried lavender
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 orange, sliced
- 4–5 fresh mint sprigs
- 4 tbsp honey syrup (or more to taste)
- 2 litres of cold water
- Ice to serve
Method
- Cold brew: Add rooibos, hibiscus, and lavender to cold water. Refrigerate 8–12 hours.
- Strain: Remove tea and herbs.
- Flavour boost: Add lemon, orange slices, and mint sprigs.
- Sweeten: Stir in honey syrup.
- Chill & serve: Pour over ice and garnish
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Shihaam Domingo, known as The Food Witch from Retreat in Cape Town, says summer offers plenty of fruits and herbs that work well for homemade iced tea. She enjoys using confetti bush tea with fresh ginger because it gives a calm, comforting flavour with a gentle sweetness and a bright kick from the ginger.
“Summer gives us so many beautiful flavours. When you mix fresh herbs, fruit and a little patience, iced tea becomes pure magic.”
Creativity makes all the difference
Domingo explains that spices like cinnamon and cardamom add natural sweetness, and many herbs taste sweeter when they are cold. She recommends brewing your tea and tasting it cold first, to let the flavour settle on your palate before adding any honey or sugar.
She likes trying different mixes, such as buchu tea with ginger, or hibiscus with cloves, cinnamon and pineapple peels. She also says honey bush tea with fresh peaches or berries and mint makes a wonderful iced tea.
Meanwhile, cookbook author and chef Pumla Brook Thomae from Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape says she learned many of her cherished herbal tea recipes from her mother, who manages diabetes and gave up sugary soft drinks long ago.
“This delightful bay leaf tea is one of her favourites, sweetened only with a touch of raw honey.”
The recipe is a tribute to her mother’s lush garden, where her treasured bay leaf tree grows.
Chef Pumla Brook-Thomae’s peppermint-infused bay leaf tea
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 20 bay leaves
- 20g fresh peppermint sprigs
- 20g sliced ginger
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1-2 tbsp raw honey
- 1.5 litres of water
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
Method
- Rinse the bay leaves and peppermint, then scrub the ginger and lemon under running water.
- Combine the bay leaves, peppermint, and ginger in a saucepan, and add water.
- Simmer until the boiling point, then switch off the heat.
- Add honey and stir until dissolved.
- Steep, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Uncover, add lemon juice, and chill.
- Serve with ice and sliced lemons.
Top tips
- Alternative sweeteners like maple syrup or stevia can be used.
- For a stronger ginger flavour, juice or grate the ginger.
- Omit ginger and cinnamon for those with spice allergies – the tea remains delicious without.
- The tea can be enjoyed with or without a sweetener, allowing the natural flavours to shine through.
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