Friendship Tea Recipe made with Tang - These Old Cookbooks (2024)

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This Friendship Tea recipe is a homemade tea mix that combines instant tea, lemonade and Tang with some spices for a perfect warm drink. Make up a batch of this Friendship Tea to have on hand when guests drop in or to give as the perfect homemade gift with a plate of cookies.

Friendship Tea Recipe made with Tang - These Old Cookbooks (2)

Table of Contents

Friendship Tea Recipe

Have you ever heard of Friendship Tea? How about Russian Tea, or Russian Friendship Tea? It’s a homemade tea mix that you that you blend together, and give as gifts. It’s made with 5 simple ingredients, and the flavor is a delicious spiced orange. Is there anything better than a cup of hot spiced tea.

Barbara had a college roommate whose mom would make it for her and send it in a care package. She loved making it because it reminded her of home. The delicious aroma of a steaming cup of spiced tea gave off notes of citrus, cinnamon and cloves.

Barbara found this tang tea recipe in a 1980 version of our local Shelby County Extension Homemakers Book of Favorite Recipes. She tweaked it just a tad so that it uses an entire container of Tang. Not familiar with Tang? It’s a pre-made fruit-flavored fruit drink powder.

Friendship Tea Recipe made with Tang - These Old Cookbooks (4)

Ingredient List

  • Instant Unsweetened Tea
  • Instant Lemonade Powder
  • Tang Orange Drink Mix
  • Ground Cinnamon
  • Ground Cloves

How to Make Old Fashioned Russian Tea Recipe

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Use a plastic resealable bag for the easiest method of blending the powder into a uniform mixture. Stir instant unsweetened tea, instant sweetened lemonade, Tang, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves until completely blended.
  2. Pour into glass mason jars and seal tight, or place in an airtight container. This recipe makes 3 pint-sized jars of Russian Friendship Tea.
  3. To serve, add 2 to 3 teaspoons to one cup of hot water. Don’t fill your mug to the top with water. The spiced tea mix will fizz as it hits the boiling water.

Full recipe for Russian Friendship Tea from scratch is at the bottom of this post.

Friendship Tea Recipe made with Tang - These Old Cookbooks (6)

Great Gifts

This makes the perfect gift for friends, teachers and loved ones for the holidays or teacher appreciation week. Looking for more gift ideas? Try our Best Homemade Gift Ideas.

You can decorate the jars if desired.Barbara likes to put a little piece of fabric underneath the lids before tightening the seal. On top, be sure to label with the name and the instructions.

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Recipe FAQs

  • Russian Friendship Tea is an easy, homemade tea mix that features only 5 ingredients – instant tea, lemonade, Tang, cinnamon and clove.
  • This tang tea recipe is a perfect gift. Put it in jars, and seal up tight. When your friends and family drink it, they will think fondly of you.
  • To serve, add 2-3 teaspoons of the tang tea mix to boiling water.
  • Be sure to leave room at the top of the cup because this spiced tea mix will fizz up when you mix with boiling water.
  • Love warm beverages Try Hot Cranberry Punch and Hot Buttered Rum!

Linking up to Weekend Potluck.

Friendship Tea Recipe made with Tang - These Old Cookbooks (10)

Where can I buy Tang?

Tang is found in most supermarkets in the same aisle as pre-mixed lemonade. The container is orange, and it has a resealable lid. If you can’t find it, try purchasing online on Amazon.

Does Tang go bad?

No, it actually does not have an expiration date on the canister. Instead, you’ll find a date for when it is best used by. As long as it is sealed tight, and stored in a dry place, it should last for a long time.

What is Russian Tea?

Russian tea is black tea flavored with citrus notes such as lemon and orange. It is typically a sweeter tea containing sugar. Another version of Russian tea (also called Friendship Tea) contains pre-mixed lemonade and Tang with unsweetened instant tea. The lemonade and Tang mimic the traditional Russian tea flavors.

What can I make for homemade Christmas gifts?

The possibilities are endless when it comes to homemade Christmas gifts from your kitchen. Here’s some great suggestions:

  • Caramel Puff Corn
  • Grandma’s Chocolate Fantasy Fudge
  • Crock Pot Chili Nuts
  • Cinnamon Glazed Pecans
  • Poppy seed Bread
  • Homemade Martini Olives
  • Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies
  • Iced Thumbprint Cookies
  • Hot Cocoa Recipe (Bulk)

Friendship Tea Recipe made with Tang - These Old Cookbooks (13)

Print Recipe

4.50 from 2 votes

Friendship Tea

This Friendship Tea recipe is a homemade tea mix that combines instant tea, lemonade and Tang with some spices for a perfect warm drink.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time0 minutes mins

Total Time5 minutes mins

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: friendship tea, russian friendship tea, russian tea, spiced tea mix, tea with tang

Servings: 96

Calories: 18kcal

Author: Barbara

Ingredients

  • 1 cup instant tea mix, unsweetened
  • 1 3/4 cups instant lemonade mix
  • 20 ounces Tang
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

Instructions

  • Mix all ingredients together in a zip lock bag until blended uniformly.

  • Pour into glass jars, and seal tight.

  • To serve, mix 2-3 teaspoons of tea mix with boiling water, to taste. Be sure to leave room at the top of the mug to account for fizzing.

Notes

  • Russian Friendship Tea is an easy, homemade tea mix that features only 5 ingredients—instant tea, lemonade, Tang, cinnamon and cloves.
  • This tang tea recipe is a perfect gift. Put it in jars, and seal up tight. When your friends and family drink it, they will think fondly of you.
  • To serve, add 2-3 teaspoons of the tang tea mix to boiling water.
  • Be sure to leave room at the top of the cup because this spiced tea mix will fizz up when you mix with boiling water.
  • Looking for more gift ideas? Try our Caramel Puff Corn, Grandma’s Chocolate Fantasy Fudge, Crock Pot Chili Nuts, or Cinnamon Glazed Pecans.
  • Love warm beverages Try Hot Cranberry Punch and Hot Buttered Rum!
  • The nutritional information below is auto-calculated and can vary depending on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 18kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg

Friendship Tea Recipe made with Tang - These Old Cookbooks (15)
Friendship Tea Recipe made with Tang - These Old Cookbooks (2024)

FAQs

What is the drink made from tang? ›

"This powdered hot tea mix flavored with orange, cloves, and cinnamon has been a favorite of mine since childhood... and is now a favorite inexpensive gift for friends and family.

How to make and serve hot tea? ›

Bring 1 cup of fresh, clean water to a rolling boil, then pour over 1 tea bag or a tea infuser filled with 1 loose-leaf serving. Steep according to the timing above based on your tea variety. If you prefer a stronger flavor, allow the tea to steep 30 to 60 seconds extra. Stir, then remove the tea bags or infuser.

Does Tang drink still exist? ›

Tang is sold in about thirty-five countries and is available in a variety of flavors depending on location. The top three markets for Tang around the world are Brazil, Argentina, and the Philippines.

What are the disadvantages of drinking Tang? ›

it can rehydrate your body better than plain water, provides instant sugar to your brain. Also has a few vitamins. it's healthy if you do not exceed juice worth of three two teaspoons a day. Binging on it can cause sugar metabolism problems, kidney problems (citric acid), and volley of other problems.

How to make the best tea at home? ›

Their conclusion was to add boiling water to a tea bag in a mug and leave for two minutes. Remove the bag, add the milk and leave for a further six minutes or until it reaches 140 F/60 C. Should the temperature drop below 113 F/45 C the flavors are destroyed.

How to make tea in 5 steps? ›

By following these five key steps, you can steep the perfect cup of tea every time.
  1. Use Fresh, Filtered Water. ...
  2. Heat Water to the Correct Temperature. ...
  3. Measure the Right Quantity of Tea. ...
  4. Pour the Water Over the Tea Leaves. ...
  5. Steep for the Appropriate Amount of Time.

How to make the best tasting tea? ›

Generally, we like to use one or two grams of tea per ounce of water in your brewing vessel, and we always recommend weighing your leaves. If your brew is bitter, vegetal, or dry after even a short infusion, try using less tea for a sweeter flavor.

Is Tang healthy or not? ›

One of the main reasons why Tang is not healthy for children is its high sugar content. One serving of Tang (8 fluid ounces) contains 19 grams of sugar, which is almost as much as a can of soda.

Why do astronauts drink Tang? ›

General Foods' advertising strategy shifted to capitalize on the popularity of all things outer space, and Tang henceforth became marketed as the astronaut's drink of choice, as seen in this collection of Tang advertisem*nts through the decades.

Is Tang drink mix good for you? ›

Despite the fact that it is fortified with nutrients, it does not satisfy the MyPyramid recommendations for consuming a minimum of 1.5 cups of fruits (or the equivalent) daily. Even 100-percent fruit juices are high in calories, carbohydrates and sugars and should be consumed in moderation, if at all.

Is Tang just sugar? ›

Apart from the alarming sugar content, Tang also contains sucralose and titanium dioxide.

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