Our Low FODMAP Iced Black Tea With Lychee is simply chilled low FODMAP black tea, with optional sweetening, served with fresh lychee purée. We are here to show you that we have many beverage ideas for you – that are even suitable for Elimination. This article takes you through this drink step by step and explores the FODMAP levels of black tea and lychees.
Drink To Your Health
Staying hydrated is an important part of taking care of our overall health and digestion. We spend a lot of time talking about low FODMAP foods, but what about drinks? Take some time looking around the site; we think you find a lot to read and to learn from.
We have an in-depth article on Mocktails & Cocktails that will link you to many of our low FODMAP beverages, both spirited – with alcohol – as well as without. And we have an article on Coffee, IBS and the Low FODMAP Diet that deserves a read.
Lychees & FODMAPs
Monash University has lab tested fresh lychees for FODMAP content and tell us that 3 lychees at 30 g total are a Green Light low FODMAP portion.
In the Test Kitchen we have found that 1 average lychee with pit removed weighs 10 g, which means you can have the equivalent of three per serving.
Black Tea
For a fuller exploration of tea, please see our article Tea & FODMAPs. For this recipe we are focusing on black tea.
Black tea is made from leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant (as is all tea). Black tea is made by taking fresh leaves and first withering them, then rolling, oxidizing and drying. The fact that tea leaves are fully oxidized is a hallmark of black tea and differentiates it from oolong, green and white.
We brew loose tea every day here in our Test Kitchen and encourage you to explore the world of black teas (as well as green and white).
We encourage you to brew tea any which way you like, be it loose, from bags or, you could even buy ready-to-drink.
Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have lab tested black tea for FODMAPs. Monash says that a Green Light low FODMAP portion is 180 ml (¾ cup) when “brewed strongly” and made from “1 teabag”. FODMAP Friendly gives it a “Pass” at “1 bag” or 1.88 g.
Buying Black Tea
Here are some recommendations for black tea that we like with our lychee purée.
Loose Black Tea:
- Davidson’s Tea Bulk, English Breakfast
- Harney & Sons English Breakfast Tea Loose Tea
- Ahmad Tea of London Ceylon Tea
- Mariage Frères – Yunnan Imperial
Black Tea Bags:
- Mariage Freres, French Breakfast Black Tea, Tea Bags
- Twinings of London English Breakfast Black Tea Bags
- Taylors of Harrogate Yorkshire Red Teabags
Brewed Black Tea:
- Pure Leaf Iced Tea, Unsweetened Black Tea
- Tejava Original Unsweetened Black Iced Tea
- Teas’ Tea Organic Iced Tea, Unsweetened Organic Black Tea
- Honest Tea, Iced Tea, Just Black, Organic
To Sweeten Or Not To Sweeten
You can enjoy this drink unsweetened, of course, but if you want to sweeten it, we suggest using pure granulated white sugar for a couple of reasons.
First of all, white granulated sugar is low FODMAP. Secondly, it has a very neutral flavor, which is what you want here to highlight both the black tea flavors and the delicate, perfumed lychee flavor. We prefer to use cane sugar and use Domino in the Test Kitchen.
For cold drinks, such as this, we like to make a Simple Syrup, which is simply sugar and water boiled together. This way it dissolves instantly!
More Tea Recipes
Low FODMAP Iced Black Tea With Lychee
Our Low FODMAP Iced Black Tea With Lychee is simply chilled low FODMAP black tea, with optional sweetening, served with fresh lychee purée. We are here to show you that we have many beverage ideas for you – that are even suitable for Elimination. This article takes you through this drink step by step and explores the FODMAP levels of black tea and lychees.
Ingredients:
- 12 fresh lychees, peeled and pitted (120 g total)
- Ice cubes
- 3 cups (720 ml) chilled brewed black tea
- Simple Syrup, to taste
Preparation:
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Set aside 8 fresh whole lychees (see Tips). Purée the remaining lychees in blender or simply mash thoroughly with a fork.
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Divide chilled black tea among 4 glasses and stir in a quarter of the purée into each glass. Add ice cubes to each glass and plop 2 fresh whole lychees into each glass.
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Sweeten if desired, by stirring in a little Simple Syrup, but taste first. The delicate, perfumed aroma and flavor of lychees is lovely on its own. Serve immediately.
Notes:
Tips
• I have the presented the recipe above as using a little bit of purée per serving and adding 2 whole lychees. You could also use more purée, if you like and only 1 lychee, or no whole lychees and an even larger amount of purée. The idea is that you use no more than 30 g of the lychee fruit per serving in whatever way you like.
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
- Black Tea: Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have lab tested black tea for FODMAPs. Monash says that a Green Light low FODMAP portion is 180 ml (¾ cup) when “brewed strongly” and made from “1 teabag”. FODMAP Friendly gives it a “Pass” at “1 bag” or 1.88 g.
- Lychees: Monash University has lab tested fresh lychees and they are low FODMAP in serving sizes of 30 g, which is 3 average lychee fruit, pitted.
- Sugar: Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have both lab tested white, granulated sugar. Monash states that a Green Light low FODMAP serving size of white sugar is ¼ cup (50 g). FODMAP Friendly simply states that they have tested 1 tablespoon and that it is low FODMAP. Regular granulated white sugar is sucrose, which is a disaccharide made up of equal parts glucose and fructose. Sucrose is broken down and absorbed efficiently in the small intestine.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
Can you use canned lychees if fresh is not available? Thank you.
Great question. Canned lychees have not been lab tested as of this writing (2020). We know that FODMAP content can change during processing, such as when canning. Lychees contain sorbitol, which is water soluble. We often see FODMAP content reduce when foods are canned and drained well before using; the FODMAPs at least partially drain away. We see this in lentils, for instance.
While we do not know the FODMAP content of canned lychees for sure, you could try them, drained well, and assess your tolerance.
Thanks for your detailed response!