Expert: Paul Wagner - 6/15/2002

Question
My box of Luzianne Tea provides a recipe for brewing their product. I assume they know what they are talking about. For Iced Tea they call for 1 bag of tea for 32 ounces of water. For Hot Tea they suggest 1 bag for 20 ounces of water. My question is, why the substantial difference in the ratio of water to tea? For Iced Tea the ratio is 32 ounces of water to 1 bag of tea. For Hot Tea the ratio is 20 to 1. The Iced Tea, obviously, is weaker than the Hot Tea. I would think the ratio would be just the opposite. After all, the Iced Tea will be further diluted by the addition of ice. I have asked this question of the experts in the Tea Category but have not received a satisfactory answer as to why the different ratios betweeen the Iced and the Hot. Can you enlighten me?

Answer
Dear Harry:

It's all a question of taste, after all.  But the simple answer it this:  

When you drink hot tea, you sip it slowly.  Only a little tea goes into your mouth, and you want that to be quite flavorful.  So hot tea is usually made strong.

Iced tea is just the opposite--you often swig iced tea, because you are thirsty.  You want the tea to be less flavorful, more refreshing.  So iced tea is made weaker.

You can make either of them any way you want, but this is the theory behind the two recipes.

Paul Wagner