Friendship tea

My mom used to make what she called “Friendship tea” to give to my teachers as gifts. Therefore I tend to think of it this time of year, even though this year most kids said goodbye to their teachers several weeks ago. It also makes a good Christmas gift!

This recipe is also known as Russian tea, according to the interwebs, although this guy says it is absolutely not Russian.

Today, it wouldn’t be considered the healthiest tea in the world, as the recipes are all typically some blend of sugary drinks with incredibly processed instant tea. There are hundreds of variations of the recipe. All contain instant tea, though sometimes it is instant tea with lemon. All of the recipes include Tang (the powdered orange drink), and a bit of ground cinnamon and cloves, and some white sugar. Some recipes add instant lemonade powder in, or cinnamon red hots, and some even add apricot gelatin powder. The measurements and proportions are also widely variable.

The oldest version of the recipe that I could find was from an Indiana newspaper printed in 1968. It was referred to as a delicious “new” drink. Here it is:

(Image credit: Rachel Schumacher)