Mango Iced Tea

This mango iced tea happened because of an Instagram scroll and a heatwave. I saw it pop up on Loulou Kitchen's account one afternoon when it was far too hot to think about turning on a stove, and I knew immediately it was going to be one of a kind.

I followed her version almost to the letter, because sometimes a recipe is already perfect and all it needs is someone willing to actually make it instead of just saving it for later.

The result was exactly what I needed: refreshing, fruity, barely sweet, and ready in the time it takes the tea to cool down.

Mango Iced Tea – About the dish

Fruit-steeped iced teas sit at the crossroads of two traditions: the ritual of brewing tea, and the tropical habit of blending fresh fruit into cold, sweet drinks. Mango and passion fruit are a classic pairing across many tropical kitchens, showing up in juices, coulis and desserts long before anyone thought to drop them into a pitcher of tea.

Vanilla ties it all together. Infused into the tea itself and reinforced with a whole bean in the blender, it rounds out the tartness of the passion fruit and gives the drink a softer, almost dessert-like edge, without adding much extra sugar.

Mango Iced Tea – Recipe

Ingredients – Advice & key points

• Mango: use one large, very ripe mango, the fragrance and softness are the best clue it is ready
• Passion fruit: choose fruits with wrinkled, dimpled skin, that is when they are at their sweetest
• Vanilla bean: split and scrape the pod for the blender, its seeds bring a warm background note
• Vanilla tea: brew one bag in 1L of water and let it cool completely before using
• Sugar: two tablespoons is enough here, taste your fruit first and adjust if needed
• Ice: don't skimp, this drink is meant to be poured over plenty of it

Recipe – Advice & key points

• Blend first: puree the mango, passion fruit, vanilla and sugar with a splash of tea before adding the rest
• Cool the tea fully: warm tea poured over ice will only water the drink down
• Assemble in a pitcher: add the ice, then the fruit puree, then the cooled tea, and stir well
• Taste before serving: adjust the sugar at this stage, the ripeness of the fruit will change how sweet it needs to be
• Keep it simple: this drink comes together in minutes, there's no need to overthink it

This is the kind of drink I keep in the fridge all summer, it takes barely any effort and disappears just as fast. Enjoy!