Red Iced Tea is a variation of iced tea made with pomegranate juice mixed with brewed with black tea.
When I started my first job back in the Philippines on of the restaurants I usually go to when I am craving for Japanese was Tokyo Tokyo, that was more than 24 years ago. One of my go to dishes at that place was their beef misono and prawn tempura, usually these dishes are served with rice and a side of vegetable. This meal is incomplete without their famous red iced tea which by then I never knew what it was made of until I did my own research which ended up with our recipe today.
There are many blogs that offer this recipe in an attempt to make it at home, some uses grenadine, some uses strawberry juice, I am not sure what is the original recipe since it looks like a heavily guarded trade secret. What I do remember is how it tasted, its tangy with strong hints of cranberry and grapes, fairly tart with a bit of sweetness underneath, this means it can’t be from a strawberry. That then leaves me to grenadine which is quite hard to find not just in the Philippines but also here in New Zealand, but knowing that this non-alcoholic bar syrup is made with pomegranate this is where I will be basing my recipe from.
This red iced tea will be mostly made of natural ingredients so don’t expect any powdered juices on the ingredients list, and knowing it’s a form of iced tea, we will be mixing it with ingredients usually found in the usual Iced Lemon Tea so we will be using real black tea and lemon juice. This mixture gave a really good result, the first time I made it and tried it, I felt I was transported back to the Philippines on the year I first tried it at Tokyo Tokyo. If you tried the real thing from that restaurant chain, I request for you to try the recipe below and let me know how near it is with the real thing, hopefully its better as we use real fruit ingredients on it.
My sister went on a hunt to recreate a restaurant item a couple years ago…to the point that she had different people call the bakery and ask about certain ingredients. They claimed they had an allergy and needed to know. Haha! Either way, I’ve never had the original version, but this one sounds quite fantastic for a hot summer day!
Oh, this looks refreshing! I could also try using Prickly Pear cactus juice instead of the Pomegranate juice, when in season. I had a look at the website for Tokyo Tokyo- good looks fantastic!
Yes, a little tart. But I add some sugar to the prickly pear juice and that fixes it. If you can get to the outback in Australia, you should be able to find some prickly pear plants.
Although I’ve never had the original from Tokyo Tokyo, I already know I would love this. Tart, tangy and just slightly sweet, what’s not to love? The colour is spectacular too.
Yeah I think going with the pomegranate juice instead of strawberries was the right call. But wait, what if that super secret recipe combines both pomegranate and strawberry flavors? Either way, it sounds absolutely delicious and refreshing, and with the warmer days on the way (Fingers crossed!), this is an excellent idea!
I’ve never had red iced tea so can’t comment on how close to the real recipe this might be but I love the idea that you’re trying to recreate something which you had tasted all those years ago. The sense of taste is so powerful and I agree that tasting something familiar can transport you back into the past so easily. Love the use of pomegranate juice here!
I like your version much better Raymund! Commercial grenadine can have ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and preservatives. And I could even use a sugar substitute if I do keto again!
I’m a peach iced tea man but I have to make it myself as it’s really hard to find in my region. This sounds gorgeous, one to try! Thank you, Raymund for sharing this recipe with us!
Thank you, Raymund for sharing this recipe with us! And I could even use a sugar substitute if I do keto again!
I’ve never had red iced tea so can’t comment on how close to the real recipe this might be but I love the idea that you’re trying to recreate something which you had tasted all those years ago
A really fun treat! Always love gorgeous red colour of pomegranate.
My sister went on a hunt to recreate a restaurant item a couple years ago…to the point that she had different people call the bakery and ask about certain ingredients. They claimed they had an allergy and needed to know. Haha! Either way, I’ve never had the original version, but this one sounds quite fantastic for a hot summer day!
★★★★★
Ohhh that is a good way to find out about the ingredients, I will try to do that sneaky tactic sometime in the future :p
Love the color of this! Flavor must be wonderful, too. Thanks!
I love the sound of that tart, sweet, and astringent combination! What a perfectly refreshing drink for the hotter days ahead.
Oh, this looks refreshing! I could also try using Prickly Pear cactus juice instead of the Pomegranate juice, when in season. I had a look at the website for Tokyo Tokyo- good looks fantastic!
Prickly Pear cactus juice sounds interesting, never had tried those? Are they quite tart as well?
Yes, a little tart. But I add some sugar to the prickly pear juice and that fixes it. If you can get to the outback in Australia, you should be able to find some prickly pear plants.
★★★★★
i’m not really a tea drinker but this does look and sound quite interesting and delightful.
This looks like such a refreshing drink!
★★★★★
Although I’ve never had the original from Tokyo Tokyo, I already know I would love this. Tart, tangy and just slightly sweet, what’s not to love? The colour is spectacular too.
Bet that is so refreshing. We have the fruit here but we eat it just like that, never made tea with it. Will try next time.
Such gorgeous color! And gorgeous taste as well, I’m guessing. So simple, so tasty looking. Thanks!
Yeah I think going with the pomegranate juice instead of strawberries was the right call. But wait, what if that super secret recipe combines both pomegranate and strawberry flavors? Either way, it sounds absolutely delicious and refreshing, and with the warmer days on the way (Fingers crossed!), this is an excellent idea!
★★★★★
Full of yummines and antioxidants. Cheers!
★★★★★
I’ve never had red iced tea so can’t comment on how close to the real recipe this might be but I love the idea that you’re trying to recreate something which you had tasted all those years ago. The sense of taste is so powerful and I agree that tasting something familiar can transport you back into the past so easily. Love the use of pomegranate juice here!
★★★★★
It is full of antioxidants. Cheers!
★★★★★
I like your version much better Raymund! Commercial grenadine can have ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and preservatives. And I could even use a sugar substitute if I do keto again!
What a beautiful and delicious looking tea! Can’t wait for warmer weather when I start craving iced tea. Still sipping on hot tea here.
I’m a peach iced tea man but I have to make it myself as it’s really hard to find in my region. This sounds gorgeous, one to try! Thank you, Raymund for sharing this recipe with us!
★★★★★
So delicious and amazing red iced tea recipe. this is really amazing and easy to make recipe you shared with us. Thank you for sharing it.
Wow, looks so yummy and tasty tea recipe. I really love it. Thank you for sharing it.
★★★★★
This is amazing. Looks so tasty and yummy iced tea. I would love to taste it.
★★★★★
Thank you, Raymund for sharing this recipe with us!
And I could even use a sugar substitute if I do keto again!
I’ve never had red iced tea so can’t comment on how close to the real recipe this might be but I love the idea that you’re trying to recreate something which you had tasted all those years ago
★★★★★