One good reason for remaining in a red state.

History of Iced Tea and Sweet Tea

There are two traditional iced teas in the United States. The only variation between them is sugar.

Southerners swear by their traditional sweet ice tea and drink it by the gallons. In the South, ice tea is not just a summertime drink, it is served year round with most meals. When people order tea in a Southern restaurant, chances are they will get sweet ice tea.

Outside of the southern states, iced tea is served unsweetened or “black,” and most people have never even heard of sweet tea. (And they call this a developed country?)


http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/IcedTeaHistory.htm

To me, it tastes just like sugar water. I like tea that actually tastes like tea. I'll take it with a couple sugar or splenda packets and a little squeeze of lemon. Far more refreshing than sugar water.

even in my iced tea.

Tikki

unless you ask for it otherwise. Usually it's served unsweetened and the sugar and fake sugar is on the table.

I'd hear people around Austin order it unsweetened (they usually ask, I've never heard of them just serving it unsweetened without asking), and I just figured it was like ordering a diet coke. A few years ago I realized that people in the less developed parts of the country drink it unsweetened as a rule. My first thought was that it was a poverty thing, and I wondered why Bill Gates or George Soros wasn't starting a charity to buy northerners sugar for their tea.

I still don't understand northerners. Never will, I guess. Someone told me yesterday they had seven feet of snow on the ground. I said "But that's higher than your door! How do you go outside?" They said they shoveled the snow. I asked "Where do you put it? On someone else's seven feet of snow? And how do you get it up there?"

I guess they just like misery, that's all I can figure. If they put sugar in their tea, they might enjoy life a little, and then they'd be too depressed to shovel seven feet of snow onto their neighbor's yard before their neighbor shoveled onto theirs. It does help me understand why they listen to bands like Boston and Rush, though.

I prefer it unsweetened with a twist of lemon.

And I'm not a bit surprised.

:hi:

Bake

My grandmother on my mother's side served it sweet, and I'd just grin and bear it, because I can't stand sweet ice-tea. And I'm a Native Texan, born, raised and still here! :P

The only way I'll willingly drink it sweet is Thai Ice-Tea style :9

every lunch/dinner at home. Never thought twice about it.

After I left home I didn't make it, but when I visited, I drank it automatically - until one day I realized - I DIDN'T LIKE THE STUFF!! I got up, poured out the tea and got some water - my Mother was horrified!

Took years before she'd stop pouring me tea when I'd come home unless I grabbed my glass first & filled it with water.

:eyes:


:hi:

I don't like mine *too* sweet, but the ready availability of sweet tea is one of the best things about living in Georgia. That, and the beautiful, disloyal, soul-crushing women.

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...but IS there a difference between "sweet tea" that comes to the table
pre-sweetened... and tea that you sweeten yourself?
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The one you sweetened yourself never tastes as sweet.

Pre-dissolved sugar syrup instead
of just stirring the sugar in.

Don't know why it affects the flavor
and viscosity of the tea, but it does..

it's SCIENCE!

Gaaaahh - both are culinary abominations.

:shrug:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Smooth-Sweet-Tea/Detail.aspx this is the way I make it and everyone loves it.

When ordering iced tea with a yankee accent, I was always asked if I wanted sweet tea. Bless their hearts, because I never ever would want my tea sweet.

when I was 10 I was living in Madison Wisconsin (GI brat, moved every year)....the neighbor invited my mum (Brit) over for tea - I'll never forget the look of utter confusion on my mum's face when she returned - "It had ICE in it!!!" she hissed to me, in utter HORROR :D