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 | | An Introduction to Iced Tea by The Chief Leaf, Tim Smith |
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| Upcoming Events |  |
Saturday June 25th
Official Summer Kick Off Open House at The Tea Smith (Fun Details to follow)  Omaha Public Library Summer Reading Events: A Brief History of TeaJune 18th- 2:00 Sorenson Branch June 29th- 6:30 Saddlebrook Branch July 6th- 6:30 Millard Branch July 13th 3:30 Willa Cather Branch July 26th- 6:30 Elkhorn Branch Drop in and enjoy an hour with our Chief Leaf as we sip our way through history
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78th & Dodge
Online www.theteasmith.com
 
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| Celebrate Fathers Day and National Iced Tea Month at The Tea Smith |
Greetings!
June is a big month as we celebrate Father's Day, National Iced Tea Month, and the official start of Summer.
Gatherings with family and friends and hot weather demand an ample supply of ready refreshment. Of course this includes copious amounts of Iced Teas. This edition covers the origins of Iced Tea, as well as everything you need to make and serve the finest drinks available all summer long.
If you are shopping for Dad, check out the coupon at the bottom of the page!
So grab your favorite cuppa and read on.
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The Origins of Iced Tea
As with so many teas, the origin of iced tea has a legend. This one starts in St. Louis, Missouri, at the 1904 World's Fair. St. Louis in August is the perfect place to drink hot tea. Or so Richard Blechynden thought. But, he was English and unused to extreme temperatures, so you must forgive his naivete. Legend has it that old Richard had a tea stand at the World's Fair, but the Americans were passing him by. Fancy that: 98°F, and no one wanted a nice, steaming cup of tea. In his frustration, Richard threw ice into the mix, and voila! Instant smashing success!
Actually, as with most legends, this story is not exactly true. Yes, Richard Blechynden did sell iced tea at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. He also happened to be the India Tea Commissioner, who was charged with marketing Indian and Ceylon teas in the United States. Coincidence? I think not.
Conspiracy theories aside, we can verify that old Richard did not invent iced tea because of an ancient written record: the 1879 book Housekeeping in Old Virginia by Marion Cabell Tyree. As all good Southerners will attest, iced tea is from the South. The steps for making "Ice Tea" are listed among recipes such as Pig's Head Pudding. Although Marion was the granddaughter of revolutionary Patrick Henry, this does not necessarily make her culinary "indulgences" any easier for us modern Americans to stomach.
 Marion's recipe for Ice Tea: "After scalding the teapot, put into it one quart of boiling water and two teaspoonfuls green tea. If wanted for supper, do this at breakfast. At dinner time, strain without stirring, through a tea strainer into a pitcher. Let it stand till tea time and pour into decanters, leaving the sediment in the bottom of the pitcher. Fill the goblets with ice, put two teaspoonfuls granulated sugar in each, and pour the tea over the ice and sugar. A squeeze of lemon will make this delicious and healthful, as it will correct the astringent tendency." |
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The Tea Smith Recipe Card for Perfect Iced Teas
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If you know someone that enjoys the finer things in life, please forward this newsletter along to them.
Thank you for supporting The Tea Smith! Your encouragement and consideration are truly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Tim Smith, Chief Leaf
The Tea Smith, L.L.C. |
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