What's the deal with sweet tea?

[Wilt Dasney]

I read the title of the thread and was expecting some Jerry Seinfeld observational humor.

Holy schnikies, I was opening this thread to post the exact same thing. :lol: I hear his voice every time I read the title:

"So what's the deal with sweet tea? It's not sweet...it's not tea. Who ARE these people??"

 

[tigsmom]

Here in Alabama, all sodas are considered Coke as well. If you are asked if you'd like a Coke, you will also get asked "What kind".

I learned this a long time ago ... coke = soda & Coke = the brand of cola. :lol:

what I still dont get is: does sweet tea taste different than say snapple or arizona brands? tastes pretty sweet to me?

do they have these down south, in Jersey that's what people drink when they want ice tea(at least the people I know).

Those are sweetened teas as in the sugar is added after it's brewed (as in Snapple) or dry tea mixed with water (as in Arizona, Lipton & Nestea iced teas). They may taste sweet to you, but a real sweet tea will knock you over. :dazzle:

 

[Debbie]

The McDonalds here doesn't even sell unsweetened tea I can't deal with Sweet Tea :hurl:

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Those are sweetened teas as in the sugar is added after it's brewed (as in Snapple) or dry tea mixed with water (as in Arizona, Lipton & Nestea iced teas). They may taste sweet to you, but a real sweet tea will knock you over. :dazzle:

Yeah, it really is like night and day. Snapple and Nestea are flavored tea; real Southern-style sweet tea (depending on whose you get) can be like slurping syrup through a straw.

 

[WDWFREAK53]

Holy schnikies, I was opening this thread to post the exact same thing. :lol: I hear his voice every time I read the title:

"So what's the deal with sweet tea? It's not sweet...it's not tea. Who ARE these people??"

or...

"So what's the deal with sweet tea?" "Why is tea so sweet? Are "S" and "U" not sweet?"

 

[rbrower]

The McAlister's Deli still serves it here (Texas). Kinda funny thing about getting tea in the south, if you ask if the tea is sweet they look at you like you're crazy or something. I am "from" the north but being in the military has made me a southerner and I love it, sweet tea and all!!!

Also, a thing about coke in Texas. If you order a "coke" in Central Texas they either ask what kind or just bring you a Dr Pepper. Coke referring to soda or pop in general. Strange local customs I guess.

My wife and I were joking that instead of a blood transfusion they get sweet tea transfusions in the south.

Anyone want to talk boiled peanuts? YUM!!! :slurp: :slurp: :slurp:

I absolutely love boiled peanuts! I have an addiction to them...:lookaroun
:lol:

 

[WDW Vacationer]

I know "What the Deal Is"! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k14fqTRGo5w&feature=related :lookaroun

 

[SirGoofy]

Sweet Tea is proof that there is a higher power somewhere out there in the universe.

Well, sweet tea and beer.:lookaroun

 

[diddy_mouse]

Since my mother's side of the family if from The South, I grew up with Sweet Tea. I have had sweetened tea as well, but I prefer the former. My mother-in-law boils water, adds the tea bags to brew, pours the tea into a large pitcher adds a heaping load of sugar, then stirs. That's basically it. add it to a glass with ice. My grandmother still makes Sun Tea which is fantastic!

Also, I've been to restaurants in my area (Virginia) where you order a coke and you'll get a soda...strange yes. What's even stranger is I tend to prefer Pepsi. :lookaroun But a good Cherry Coke will do the trick too.

 

[Disneybird]

Sweet Tea is proof that there is a higher power somewhere out there in the universe.

Well, sweet tea and beer.:lookaroun

:lol::lol::lol:

 

[Tater48]

I know down here, if you ask for a glass of iced tea with your dinner, you had better specify "sweet" tea. If not, you are going to get a big glass of unsweetened ice tea. This is how iced tea was meant to be drank. Just like a good cup of coffee, why would anyone want to ruin it by putting all of that "stuff" in it, and I have always lived down here. I'm just sayin.....................:lookaroun

 

[MaxsDad]

In this area, you must specify if you want unsweetened tea. There is a "drive-in" here that claims to sell more sweet tea than any other place in the world. It is called "The Beacon".

Anyway, it's tea has about 2 cups of sugar in each gallon. Yum!

One issue I face at WDW: there is no sweet tea there. As someone has said, adding sugar packets to cold unsweetened tea just does not work. I don't know why. It's still water, tea, and sugar. But it just never tastes right.

So this is an idea I have had, but have not yet tried. If it works, us sweet tea drinkers may have found a way around the, well, yankification of FL. Order a cup o' tea and a glass of ice water (or maybe just ice) with your meal. When the tea comes, sweeten it immediately. You will have to experiment around with the number of packs, but you will find your groove soon enough. Drink down the level of the ice water to make room for the tea, then pour the sweetened hot tea onto the ice water, slightly dilluting the mixture.

If anyone could try this, I would like to know if it produces an acceptable substitute.

Perhaps if we make a big enough mess, they will start serving proper tea. Of course, it's not to hard to figure out why they don't. Tea is cheap. DIRT CHEAP. It is a big money maker. Everything after the second glass order is profit for that 3 or so gallons of brew. But sugar makes its cost significantly higher.

 

[KingStefan]

Over here you will hear "I want a cold drink" or give me a coke which also means soda in general here too.

Me when I first moved from NJ to NW FL many years ago (or South Alabama, as we sometimes called it):

In a casual restaurant:
Me: What's a po-boy?
Waiter: Excuse me?
Me: I said, what's a po-boy?
Waiter: You're jokin' with me, right? You really don't know what a po-boy is?
Me: No, I'm not joking, what is it?
Waiter: [explains po-boy]
Me: Oooooh! A sub!
Waiter: What?
Me: Nevermind - I'll have one of those - a po-boy, please.
Waiter: OK. You want a co-drink with that?
Me: A what?
Waiter: A co-drink. You know - A drink that's co.; like with ice.
Me: Ooooh! OK. I'll have a coke.
Waiter: OK, what kind.
Me: What do you mean?
Waiter: What kind o' coke did you want? We got orange, sebmup, ...
Me: Wait - what was that second one?
Waiter: sebmup
Me: Well, what's that like?
Waiter: Now, you really are funnin' me - sebmup - everybody knows submup! Comes in a green bottle, got a big seb'm on the front!
Me: Ooooh! Seven-up! No, no I just wanted a coke.
Waiter: Yeah, I know, what kind?
Me: Just a coke! You know, a coca-cola!
Waiter: OK. Comin' right up. *goes away muttering somethin' about damn yankees*

 

[pinkrose]

Me when I first moved from NJ to NW FL many years ago (or South Alabama, as we sometimes called it):

In a casual restaurant:
Me: What's a po-boy?
Waiter: Excuse me?
Me: I said, what's a po-boy?
Waiter: You're jokin' with me, right? You really don't know what a po-boy is?
Me: No, I'm not joking, what is it?
Waiter: [explains po-boy]
Me: Oooooh! A sub!
Waiter: What?
Me: Nevermind - I'll have one of those - a po-boy, please.
Waiter: OK. You want a co-drink with that?
Me: A what?
Waiter: A co-drink. You know - A drink that's co.; like with ice.
Me: Ooooh! OK. I'll have a coke.
Waiter: OK, what kind.
Me: What do you mean?
Waiter: What kind o' coke did you want? We got orange, sebmup, ...
Me: Wait - what was that second one?
Waiter: sebmup
Me: Well, what's that like?
Waiter: Now, you really are funnin' me - sebmup - everybody knows submup! Comes in a green bottle, got a big seb'm on the front!
Me: Ooooh! Seven-up! No, no I just wanted a coke.
Waiter: Yeah, I know, what kind?
Me: Just a coke! You know, a coca-cola!
Waiter: OK. Comin' right up. *goes away muttering somethin' about damn yankees*

Shirmp Po-Boy's are the best! :slurp:

 

[ThinkTink721]

I am from the south & we keep a pitcher of sweet tea in our fridge at all times.
My hubby travels around the US on business & he always jokes about how you can only get sweet tea in this part of the country.
We love it - the more sugar, the better! :wave:

 

[ThinkTink721]

Cracker Barrel has the best sweet tea...and it's all the same at any location I have been to in the country.

IMO, the best sweet tea that I have tasted is at a chain of restaurants in the south called McAllister's Deli - theirs is the best! :slurp:

I just read the post re: the boiled peanuts - we love those too!

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Cracker Barrel has the best sweet tea...and it's all the same at any location I have been to in the country.

FULLY agreed.:slurp:

 

[Pongo]

IMO, the best sweet tea that I have tasted is at a chain of restaurants in the south called McAllister's Deli - theirs is the best! :slurp:

I just read the post re: the boiled peanuts - we love those too!

McAllister's IS good tea, but the best Sweet Tea I've had was at a restaurant in College Station, Texas called Sodolak's Beefmaster. They had a million animal heads hanging on the wall and served their drinks in mason jars.

OBVIOUSLY, with a name like that and features like those, the tea HAS to be delicious.

 

[ThinkTink721]

McAllister's IS good tea, but the best Sweet Tea I've had was at a restaurant in College Station, Texas called Sodolak's Beefmaster. They had a million animal heads hanging on the wall and served their drinks in mason jars.

OBVIOUSLY, with a name like that and features like those, the tea HAS to be delicious.

I love the mason jars!...We have a set at home - we use it for our sweet tea! :ROFLOL: :wave:

 

[pinkrose]

Around here, Milo's has the best sweet tea :slurp: (Not the jugs you can buy in the store, but from the locations themsevles).