Assam Iced Tea

As we continue our trip around the remote hot and humid North-East of India in search of the best teas, a constant flow of iced lemon tea (or lebu cha as it's called in Assam) has been a welcome relief. 

Assam tea is a black tea that's one of the most well known in the world. It's named after the place where it's produced in Assam, North-East India. It makes a great iced tea as it's bold and robust, with a strong malty flavour. 

Here's a local Assamese recipe for lemon iced tea and it's super simple: 

What you need:

• 500 ml of water
• 10g of Assam tea leaves
• 3 tsp sugar
• 0.5tsp black salt (Kala Namak)
• 1.5tsp fresh lemon/ lime juice. 

1. Boil the water in a saucepan. 

2. Add approx 10g of tea leaves. (It's important to make a stronger brew as some of the flavour will get lost once the tea cools down).

3. Let the tea brew for five minutes and then remove the saucepan from the heat. Strain/ filter the tea leaves into a jug and leave the tea to cool.  

4. Once the tea has cooled, add black salt and fresh lemon juice, and some sugar until its completely dissolved.  

5. Place in the fridge to chill, then serve over ice and garnish with a slice of lime and a sprig of coriander.

6. Enjoy!