As the temperature rises, you'll want some cold drinks.
In the past in Japan, barley tea was the only drink that was chilled... but nowadays, many different types of tea, such as green tea, oolong tea, jasmine tea, and roasted green tea, are available commercially as chilled drinks regardless of the season.
Of course, Japanese black tea is also a great option to enjoy iced during the hot season.
Compared to Western black tea, it is a black tea with a milder flavor, closer to green tea, so it is easy to drink even when chilled. It is a healthy drink that can prevent heat stroke, hydrate, and also provide vitamins and minerals.
The person who popularized iced tea was an Englishman who participated in the American World's Fair.
Nowadays, iced tea is a common drink in Japan.
There are various theories about its origins, including one that says that in the 19th century, people were drinking tea with ice or chilled in the refrigerator, and that recipes were even published.
However, if we look back in history, the culture of "drinking iced tea" began to spread in an unexpected way.
It all started at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair in the United States. British tea merchant Richard Bretinden was promoting Indian black tea by offering samples to visitors. However, the venue was experiencing scorching heat for days on end, and no one paid any attention to the tea brewed with hot water.
In order to attract people even in the heat, Brechinden came up with the idea of serving tea with crushed ice. This caught the attention of people looking for a cold drink and became a big hit. This incident is said to have led to the spread of the word that "tea is delicious even when iced," which led to the recognition of iced tea.
Countries that have the habit of drinking tea iced and those that don't
Iced tea became popular in the United States and has now become a common drink in Japan as well.
However, in the home of black tea, England, the culture of drinking tea chilled is not common.
The unique flavor of black tea is best brought out when brewed with boiling water. The UK has a cool climate and rarely experiences the intense heat of Japan, so there is little need to drink iced tea. Some people don't accept the idea of iced tea, saying things like "I don't want to bother to make it cold" or "It's a heresy," and you can see the pride that comes with being a country with its own unique black tea culture.
It seems that simple iced tea is not drunk that much in other European countries either. Carbonated iced tea is the standard in the Netherlands and Belgium. In Italy, "Italian iced tea" is often drunk, but this is the name of a cocktail (alcoholic drink) based on liqueur, not black tea.
Singapore's policy to reduce sugary drinks
In Japan, it is not uncommon to drink iced tea straight, but overseas it is common to sweeten it. In particular, in Asian countries, it is common to see people pouring mountains of gum syrup into their drinks at cafes before drinking them.
However, this habit has led to negative health effects due to excessive sugar intake.
The rising incidence of diabetes, a lifestyle-related disease, has become a problem throughout Asia.
In Singapore, where the number of diabetes patients has been increasing significantly, a survey revealed that "more than half of the sugar consumed by Singaporeans comes from beverages," and since 2017 the country has been making nationwide efforts to curb consumption of sugary drinks.
Starting in 2022, packaged sweetened beverages with high sugar (or saturated fatty acid) content will be classified into four levels (Nutri-Grade grade) from A to D according to their content. This is a fairly drastic measure that will completely ban media advertising for products with the highest sugar content, D, in order to curb consumer purchasing power.
Even now, the majority of black and green tea sold at local convenience stores and supermarkets is "added sugar and honey," but the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have caused a change in the public's health consciousness. Unsweetened iced tea, which was rarely seen before, is now increasingly available in cans and plastic bottles.
Why Japanese black tea is easy to drink even when iced
Iced tea is often drunk to quench thirst. For people who like to gulp down large amounts, it is important that it is not only tasty but also easy to drink, and Japanese black tea is a tea that meets this need.
The characteristics of Japanese black tea are its not too strong aroma and its mild taste. Its appeal is the good balance of being able to taste the flavor in moderation while still feeling the coldness in your throat. Cold green tea or barley tea is good, but iced Japanese black tea is also a healthy drink that is perfect for the summer, as it provides plenty of moisture, vitamins, and minerals.
