Well, a lemon's a fruit innit?! (Other Fruit Teas)

Member Name: Blurbubble

Product:	Other Fruit Teas
Date:	22/05/02 (111 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quick and easy to make, inexpensive

Disadvantages: The taste!

Initially I was a bit dubious about using this category because the other contenders within it appeared to be exotic little numbers whereas I am about to write about a jar of rather less sophisticated instant tea - however it is lemon tea and that's fruit, so I guess it qualifies!

"Lift" Instant Lemon Tea to be precise. Now this stuff has been around for hundreds and thousands of years, well maybe not quite that long, but I can remember my Nan making it for my Mum on visits when I was a nipper which is going back a good *whisper* 25 years or so.

I bought the reduced sweetness variety, in an attempt to be slightly virtuous, whilst looking for alternatives to too much coffee and alcohol. A 200g jar, dressed in a citrus coloured label with a lurid green lid, cost just 99p from Sainsburys.

This instant tea can be drunk hot or cold and is simply made by adding two teaspoonfuls of the mix to a cup of water at the desired tempertaure. Stir well and there you have it! It smells just like your average cuppa with a hint of lemon, no great surprise I suppose.

Now for the crunch part - I had envisaged this being a light tea gently laced with the taste of lemon. I found it very tart, bitter and heavy going - maybe I shouldn't have opted for the reduced sweetness variety after all! It had quite a strong taste of stewed tea with a synthetic aftertaste. I had it as a hot drink but it could well taste a lot better cold with lots of ice. Next time I may need to add sugar, maybe that defeats the object, but I can see the jar remaining untouched for a long time in my cupboard otherwise!

The ingredients consist of dextrose, tea solids, citric acid, malto dextrin, acidity regulator, flavourings and vitamin C. On the plus side for the weight and diet conscious a 10g cup offers only 35 calories.

So, for me, this was a bit of a disappointed as a hot drink, when I try it cold I may need to update this opinion!
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