Iced tea is tea, most often black tea, that is brewed and then served cold over ice, either sweetened or unsweetened. It gained wide popularity in the United States from the early twentieth century onward, with the 1904 Worlds Fair in Saint Louis often credited, though not without dispute, as a moment that helped popularize the cold drink during a hot summer. Sweet tea, heavily sweetened while still hot so the sugar fully dissolves, became especially associated with the southern United States as a regional staple. Iced tea is now consumed worldwide in countless variations, including fruit flavored and commercially bottled versions.
Facts
Disputed
Origin Period, From (Year)This is the earliest documented reference to iced tea, by British aristocrat Marguerite, Countess of Blessington, describing drinking it in Naples, Italy; the drink's development and widespread popularity are generally associated with the United States from the 1860s onward. Origin RegionThe earliest documented reference locates iced tea in Naples, Italy in 1823; the drink is much more strongly associated with the United States, where it was widely adopted from the 1860s onward. Origin Period, To (Year)This is the year Richard Blechynden introduced iced tea at the World's Fair in St. Louis, an event widely credited with popularizing the drink in the United States. Connections
Sources
1. Iced tea - Wikipedia
History section, early references paragraph
As early as 1823, Marguerite Countess of Blessington wrote of sipping iced tea in Naples.
History section, World's Fair paragraph
Its popularity rapidly increased after Richard Blechynden introduced it at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.
History section, early references paragraph, Naples clause
As early as 1823, Marguerite Countess of Blessington wrote of sipping iced tea in Naples.
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