Since I seem to have started the discussion questioning what sweet tea is or supposed to be, I should comment that I should have put it in quotes and capitalized it, "Sweet Tea", as it was in FNF's article she posted. "Iced tea" to me, in my 67 years no matter what state I've ever visited (but I've only been as far south as Virginia), has always been unsweetened brewed tea that has been poured over ice. If you wanted it sweetened, you had to use the little sugar packets and stir till your arm almost fell off cause it'd never fully dissolve. For the last several years, the only time I've heard it referred to as "Sweet Tea" has been from someone from the south; two of which are Tyler and Paula. I did some Googling and found that most all of the info states "it's a southern thing", so I'm not so far off after all. But the info did answer my question as to what it really was, which is brewed tea that inordinate amounts of sugar have been added to while still hot. I like a sweetened iced tea in the summer months every now and then but the ST doesn't sound very appealing at all. It may very well be the 8th wonder of the world but, one thing for certain is that it must keep the dentists down south plenty busy. An example from Slashfood.com: Southern Sweet Tea
Posted Jun 28th 2007 2:48AM by
Kat Kinsman
Sweet or unsweet?
If you've spent any time south of the Mason-Dixon line, this query is as familiar to you as "paper or plastic?", but the rest of the USA doesn't have a cotton pickin' clue what you're talking about. See, we may get all schmancy, blending decaf Royal Tiger Spice Baby Assam with cran-kiwi nectar and individually wrapped cubes of Albanian raw beet sugar, but this Yankee is willing to admit that y'all got something special goin' on when comes to iced tea.
Sweet Tea is a staple of restaurants and homes across the Southeastern United States; so prevalent that a guest has to specifically request 'unsweet" in order to get a brew that won't instantly candy their molars, and enough of a cultural institution that several Representatives in Georgia presented
House Bill 819 requiring all food service establishments to serve it. Sure, it was quickly revealed as an April Fools Day prank, but it bespoke the region's reverence for the "champagne of the South".
So, just what IS this magical elixir? Essentially, it's bagged or loose orange pekoe (that's a grade of black) tea, that's brewed and blended with sugar while it's still hot. A lot of sugar. If you're making this for the first time and you think you've swirled in enough sugar – you haven't. Keep pouring. Then pour more. If your stirring spoon is threatening to stand up on its own, you may still need to add more. Have a Southerner sample it if you're not sure. They'll tell you to add MORE.
If it's served in a Southern home, there's a good chance it'll be in a tall, slim glass filled with ice, and accompanied by a long-handled iced tea spoon with which one can stir in, bless their heart, even more sweetener if so desired. Milk is unheard of, and lemon or mint – well, that's just being fancy, but if it makes the Yanks feel at home, then so be it. That's just good ol' Southern hospitality.
There are as many ways to make Sweet Tea as there are Southern families. This is how my husband and I (he's from High Point, N.C.) like to make it at home.