WHY ITALIANS LOVE PEACH ICED TEA
When summer arrives in Italy and the heat becomes almost unbearable, we start drinking sugary refreshments.
Some are made with homemade syrups, others with fresh fruit.
But one drink has accompanied generations of Italian summers: tè freddo.
Walk into any Italian bar, beach kiosk, or supermarket and you’ll almost always find only two flavors: lemon or peach.
No raspberry.
No mango.
No passion fruit.
Just lemon or peach.
Entirely predictable Italian behavior.
For many of us, peach wins.
It tastes like childhood afternoons, beach umbrellas, and long car journeys with a cold bottle rolling around on the back seat.
HOW TO MAKE ITALIAN PEACH ICED TEA
The homemade version is even simpler.
While many recipes cook the peaches, I prefer letting everything infuse overnight in the refrigerator.
The fruit slowly releases its sweetness into the tea, meaning you often need little or no extra sugar.
My greengrocer Isa insists nectarines work best.
I trust her.
I also use Earl Grey because I love how bergamot gently lifts the perfume of the peaches.
Whether that’s traditional or simply my obsession with Earl Grey, I’ll let you decide.
Italian peach iced tea or tè freddo alla pesca
Ingredients
- 1 nectarine or other peaches - organic since you'll leave the skin on
- 1 tablespoon of earl grey tea loose leaves or 1 bag
- water
Instructions
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Clean the nectarine/peach remove the pit, and slice it into medium pieces.
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Transfer them to a medium jar. Add the tea leaves or bag and fill with water. Lid and refrigerate overnight.
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Filter through a fine sieve and savor iced cold.
Recipe Notes
You can add a teaspoon of sugar, honey, or other sweeteners of your choice, but taste it first: you'll probably agree they are unnecessary!
A FINAL TIP
Taste it before adding sugar.
You may discover that ripe peaches are all the sweetness summer really needs.
Enjoy your Italian peach iced tea.
Claudia