How to Survive the Egyptian Heat: A Guide to Cold Brewing Chinese Tea
Hi! We’re Yara and Denis. We’ve been living in Egypt for several years and know the country inside and out. We’ve been promoting Chinese tea culture here and decided to write a series of articles for those who are just beginning their journey into this fascinating world.
Introduction
If you’ve ever spent a summer in Egypt—or live here year-round—you probably know what it’s like when the temperature reaches 40°C (104°F), the sun is blazing, and the air conditioner runs all day without a break. In this kind of heat, many people can’t even imagine drinking hot tea.
We love traditional hot tea ourselves, but we’ve found a perfect seasonal solution that can become a real lifesaver: cold brewing. It’s an ice-cold, incredibly refreshing, delicious, and 100% natural drink with absolutely no added sugar.
What Is Cold Brewing
Let’s clear up one common misconception. If you brew tea with boiling water, forget about it for a while, and then add ice, you’ll end up with a bitter, astringent drink. That’s because high temperatures extract large amounts of tannins from the tea leaves, creating bitterness.
Cold Brew works in a completely different way.
No boiling water is used. The tea leaves steep only in cold water. Flavor extraction happens slowly, allowing the water to gently draw out the essential oils, vitamins, antioxidants, and delicate aromatic compounds.
The result: a remarkably smooth, refreshing tea with virtually no bitterness or astringency. It’s perfect for quenching your thirst and cooling your mind during the Egyptian summer.
Top 4 Chinese Teas for the Perfect Cold Brew
Not every tea performs equally well when brewed cold. Here’s our personal list of teas that make surviving the Egyptian summer much easier.
- Light Oolongs (such as Tie Guan Yin). This is our absolute favorite. When brewed cold, it develops an amazing floral aroma with a delicate natural sweetness. You’ll notice notes of wild herbs and nettle. It’s incredibly refreshing, quenches thirst perfectly, and gently helps you stay focused.
- Green Tea (such as Long Jing). A true summer classic. Cold brewing brings out notes of freshly cut grass, sunflower seeds, and roasted chestnuts. It refreshes you instantly and helps fight the afternoon sluggishness caused by the Egyptian heat.
- White Tea (such as Shou Mei). If you enjoy delicate flavors with hints of honey and fruit, this is the perfect choice. It helps calm a busy mind after a long, hot day.
- Sheng Pu-erh (such as Spring Needles). Perfect if you’re looking for a stronger energy boost. Cold-brewed Sheng Pu-erh makes an excellent replacement for your morning coffee, helping you wake up, think clearly, and stay focused during work or training.
You can learn more about Chinese teas that are perfect for the Egyptian summer in our article “Three Chinese Teas That Will Help You Survive the Egyptian Summer.”
How to Make Cold Brew Chinese Tea at Home
All you need is a bottle of water and a refrigerator.
Step 1. Choose the water.
Use good-quality bottled water with low mineral content. Never use tap water. The quality of the water has a huge impact on the flavor and subtle aromas of the finished tea.
Step 2. Tea-to-water ratio.
Use about 5–7 grams of tea per 1 liter of cold water. Simply place the tea leaves directly into the bottle.
Step 3. Steeping time.
Close the bottle and place it in the refrigerator. Light oolongs and green teas usually need 6–8 hours (it’s perfect to prepare them before going to bed so your tea is ready in the morning). Sheng Pu-erh can steep a little longer—about 10–12 hours. Keep in mind that even the same tea can behave differently depending on the harvest year and production batch, so don’t hesitate to experiment until you find your perfect steeping time.
Step 4. The finishing touch.
In the morning, strain the tea through a regular tea strainer into another container so the leaves don’t remain in the water and continue extracting. Pour the finished tea into a thermos or insulated bottle (they keep drinks cold just as well as hot!) and take it with you to the beach in Hurghada or Dahab—or to the office in Cairo.
Where should you start?
To make your first Cold Brew experience easy, we’ve created a Tea Tasting Set. Instead of buying large packs right away, you can sample different teas and discover your favorite flavor for the summer. We’ll put together a selection that covers a wide variety of tastes and styles.
We deliver Chinese tea all across Egypt—including Cairo, Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, and many other cities—so your perfect Cold Brew is never far away.
Conclusion
Try making Cold Brew at least once—we’re sure you’ll discover a new favorite drink that makes the Egyptian summer much more enjoyable.
If you have any questions about brewing ratios or need help choosing the right tea, just send us a message on WhatsApp. We’re always happy to help!