Lebanese Iced Tea
My family and I just returned from a Baton Rouge/New Orleans trip. Our first night in Baton Rouge we ate in a Lebanese and Greek Restaurant (Albasha's) where we had Lebanese Iced Tea. It was delicious and a perfect way to combat the heat and humidity. Does anyone know of any places out here that serves it? It tasted like it was flavored with rose water and completely unlike anything I've ever had out here. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
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I called Albasha for I also think they have the best ice tea and food. The manager gave
me the recipe. You will have to play with it some to get the right taste. The juice from
20 oz. fresh squeezed lemons. 1/4 cup of powered lemonade, ice tea (they have a commercial machine, try 2 or 3 family size per gallon) and 2 tablespoons of rose water. (I found mine at a Greek grocery). He said to add the lemon juice to the tea till the color was right. Good Luck. -
emily
Aug 16, 2007 06:43 AM
Your post rang a bell so I looked in my "Oleana" cookbook, which does have a recipe for Lebanese iced tea based on a version served at another Lebanese restaurant in NO called Mona's. It uses jallab syrup, which is made from dates, raisins, rose water and caramel flavor -- it supposedly gives a very unique taste to the tea. It's available at Middle Eastern stores and Kalustyans, if you're interested in making your own.
Brew 8 cups of black tea. Let set at room temp 1 hour. Add 1 cup jallab syrup and 2 T. lemon juice. Adjust for sweetness. Pour over ice and garnish with pine nuts and mint.
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