What on earth is friendship tea, you ask? It is a concocted, dry combination of instant tea, spices and other prepared powdered beverages that when boiling water is added and the drink is poured over ice, results in a fast, thirst-quenching drink that is sweet and hits the spot.

While friendship tea is a generic term for many different recipes, common ingredients include sugar, lemon, and orange flavored powders together with instant tea. Common spices include cinnamon and cloves to add flavor.

When its ingredients are combined and stashed in a hermetically sealed container, friendship tea stays fresh for days at a time and provides instant convenience and bite.

In addition to being utilized for a personal refresher, the mixture can be bottled in jars and covered with a cloth and given as gifts around holiday time. Let us look at a recipe for friendship tea.

Traditional friendship tea requires the following ingredients: ½ cup instant tea powder, 1 cup sweetened lemonade powder, 1 cup orange-flavored drink mix, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon ground cloves. Combine all the above ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix them up and put them in an airtight container. When serving, put 1 tablespoon of mix in a coffee cup or beer mug and cover with 1 cup boiling water, stirring as you pour.

There are many other different types and recipes for friendship tea, namely spicy friendship tea and a variation to friendship tea. Ingredients of these include sugar, cinnamon candy, anise, and lemonade mix. To see these recipes click on www.learn-about-tea.com/friendship-tea.html.