Sweet tea

Sweet tea is a form of iced tea in which sugar or some other form of sweetener is added to the hot water before brewing, while brewing the tea, or post-brewing, but before the beverage is chilled and served. This especially sweet variation of tea enjoys most of its popularity in the Southern United States, though bottled iced teas labeled "Southern Style" or "Extra-sweet Southern Style" appear in refrigerated cases throughout the country.

weet tea and the American South

Sweet tea originated in Georgia. Sweet tea has long been a staple beverage in the American South. It is almost universally made with black tea, sweetened with large amounts of cane sugar, and served over ice. The sugar is added to the tea while it is still hot, a process that creates a supersaturated solution of sugar and water. It is this higher than normal level of dissolved sugar that makes it distinct from most other regional varieties of sweetened tea.

Most restaurants in the region, including fast-food and other national chains, offer a customer the choice of sweet tea or unsweetened iced tea. It is a signature drink of the region to the point where the Southern use of the word "tea" is largely used to refer specifically to cold sweet tea and not to hot or unsweetened varieties. In 2003, supposedly as an April Fool's joke, the Georgia House introduced a bill making it a misdemeanor to sell iced tea in a restaurant that did not also offer sweet iced tea on the menu. The bill never went to a vote. [ [http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2003_04/search/hb819.htm HB819.html ] ]

An important part of the tradition of sweet tea in the South is the fact that it can be made in large quantities, easily several gallons (liters), quickly and inexpensively. It is usually consumed daily as a staple soft drink. Because it is relatively cheap, some restaurants place a pitcher of sweet tea on the table for the entire dinner party to share and keep refilling it for free. Even when served in individual glasses, sweet tea refills are often provided free. While home cooks usually use tea bags to steep the tea, restaurants often make large quantities of sweet tea using large drip brew machines similar to those used for coffee.Fact|date=August 2008

weet tea outside the Southern United States

While iced tea is usually served sweetened throughout the Southern United States, in other regions, iced tea is usually served unsweetened. It is moderately common to add a small amount of sweetener to the already cold tea. Much bottled and canned tea is sold, usually sweetened with natural sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or an artificial sweetener such as Splenda.Fact|date=August 2008

Although sweet tea (as a moderately watered, sugar pre-added, iced drink) is stereotypically a South-Eastern United States tradition, it is common in many cultures to add sweeteners to their tea.Fact|date=August 2008

In recent years sweet tea has been more commonly found in areas outside the Southeast, due to restaurants such as McDonald's, Chick-Fil-A, Raising Cane's, Arby's, and Zaxby's carrying the item as a regular menu offering.Fact|date=August 2008

History

The oldest known recipe for sweet ice tea was published in 1879 in a community cookbook called "Housekeeping in Old Virginia" by Marion Cabell Tyree, who was born in Texas. The recipe called for green tea. In fact, most sweet tea consumed during this period was green tea. However, during World War II, the major sources of green tea were cut off from the United States, leaving them with tea almost exclusively from British-controlled India which produced black tea. Americans came out of the war drinking predominantly black tea. [ [http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/IcedTeaHistory.htm History of Iced Tea, History of Sweet Tea ] ]

ee also

* Cuisine of the Southern United States
* Iced tea
* Tata Tea
* Lipton
* Luzianne
* Red Diamond
* Tea
* United States Regional Cuisine

References

Bibliography

* [http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/IcedTeaHistory.htm History of Iced Tea and Sweet Tea]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=ZxUEAAAAYAAJ "Housekeeping in Old Virginia" by Marion Cabell Tyree. ISBN 1-4101-0508-3]
* [http://www.slate.com/id/2171917 A Slate article on sweet tea]