Lebanese Iced Tea

Karen Ullo shares a refreshing beverage created long ago in the Lebanese community in Baton Rouge. Download our printable recipe card!

For decades now, nearly every time I’ve gone to a Greek and Lebanese restaurant, I’ve ordered Lebanese iced tea. It was on the menu everywhere, as ubiquitous as shawarma, so I assumed it was a specialty of Lebanon. Then a few years ago, I saw an article in a local magazine. It turns out that Lebanese iced tea — like so many delicious things — was invented right here in Louisiana. People don’t really drink iced tea in Lebanon at all.

But Louisiana has a thriving population of Lebanese immigrants, large enough that Baton Rouge, where I live, has its own Maronite Catholic parish. Many years ago, one of those ingenious Lebanese fused a taste of his or her native land with a Southern favorite, and it became a staple of local Greek and Lebanese cuisine. According to the article, it’s virtually unheard-of outside Louisiana, so let me introduce you to your new favorite summertime (or anytime) beverage. 

Lebanese Iced Tea

Makes one 12 oz. glass 

Ingredients:

6 oz. unsweet iced tea
6 oz. lemonade 
About 1/8 tsp. cardamom (I measure by putting the flat end of the spoon into the bottle and covering a section about the size of a fingernail)
3-4 drops rose water 
A spoonful of pine nuts (optional) 

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a glass and stir, then add ice. That’s it!  

Adding pine nuts to a beverage may seem strange, and they’re optional even at most restaurants, but if you’re willing to drink bubble tea or milkshakes with chunks of candy, it’s not any stranger than that, and I personally like the way they add both crunch and flavor. 

Enjoy!