Cold Brewed Lychee Green Tea Recipe

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A soft, floral tea kissed with sweet lychee—light, cool, and comforting.

There’s something beautiful about cold-brewed green tea. It’s gentler, smoother, and lets the floral notes really shine. Add jasmine flowers and a touch of dried mint, and it becomes something quietly refreshing—perfect for Singapore’s weather.

Lychee Cheong...

But the real star here is the lychee syrup. Inspired by the Korean cheong (청) method, it preserves the natural perfume and sweetness of fresh lychees without cooking them, resulting in a light, syrupy finish that’s great in teas, sodas, or even desserts.

Cheong itself has been used in Korean kitchens for generations as a natural way to preserve fruits through fermentation or slow sugaring. Unlike cooked syrups, cheong keeps the original flavor of the fruit intact.

And in this tea, that syrupy lychee lifts the floral green tea blend with a soft sweetness that doesn’t overpower—it just adds. It’s not bubble tea sweet. It’s calmer, rounder, more delicate. The kind of drink you sip and go “ahhh.”

If you’re new to cold brew tea or cheong, don’t worry—it’s as easy as steep, stir, and chill. You don’t need special equipment, and the syrup practically makes itself.

This is one of those drinks that feels a bit fancy but is totally doable at home. Try it once, and you’ll start eyeing other fruits for your next batch of cheong.

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Ingredients:

(Serve 2)

• Jasmine Flowers, 1 TBSP

• Green Tea Leaves, 1 TBSP

• Dried Mint, Pinch

• Water, 500g

• Cheong Lychee Syrup, 2 TBSP Recipe Follows

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Equipment:

• Teapot / Pitcher

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Directions:

1. Brew the tea.

2. In a teapot or pitcher, add jasmine flowers, green tea leaves and dried mint.

3. Pour in 500ml of water.

4. Stir gently and chill in the fridge overnight.

5. Make the cheong lychee syrup (ahead of time).

6. Peel and pit fresh lychees.

7. Weigh them, then layer them in a sterilized jar with half their weight in sugar (by layering fruit + sugar).

8. Seal and store in a cool, dark place for about 1 week.

9. Once bubbly and the sugar has dissolved, strain.

10. Discard the lychee pulp (see note below), and store the syrup in the fridge.

11. Assemble the drink.

12. Add the lychee syrup to each serving glass.

13. Pour in cold brewed tea.

14. Stir gently and serve immediately.

Can the lychee pulp be consumed?

It’s best not to consume the fermented lychee pulp after making cheong. By the end of the week, most of its flavor will have been extracted, and it may begin to ferment or develop alcohol depending on conditions. While not harmful if cleanly prepared, it's usually too mushy and bland to enjoy—and safer to discard.

Cheers!

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Recipe Video: