You know you are in a true southern restaurant when you are offered only one kind of tea—“sweet.” If made in the true southern fashion, there will be no need to add sugar as the tea comes already sweetened. It is best when drunk from a tall, wide-mouth glass with clear, fresh ice cubes or heaps of crushed ice—lots and lots of ice. Southerners revel in their sweet tea and drink it by the pitcherful at every meal. Grandmothers in the South never served their children tea until they were twelve years old. Until then it was milk, lemonade, or water—never soft drinks at the dinner table.
In the South you will have to specifically ask for unsweetened or even maybe try “half and half ”—that is the modern way of having half sweet and half unsweet for those that can’t handle the syrupy sweetness of the beverage that God intended parched southerners to drink. After all, it quenches the thirst, replenishes verve and vitality, and stimulates the appetite for a nice hot supper. Gourmet calls sweet tea the “Champagne of the South.” You can experiment with Sunshine Tea, which is half sweet tea and half lemonade. This, too, is wonderful on a warm summer afternoon.
1 gallon water
4 to 5 family-size tea bags (each one is enough for a quart of tea)
3 cups granulated sugar (at a minimum)
Lemon slices or mint sprigs for garnish
In a 1½-gallon saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the tea bags. Cover and allow the tea to steep for 12 to 15 minutes. For stronger tea, let it steep longer, up to 20 minutes. Add the sugar while the tea is hot, stirring vigorously until the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow the tea to cool and then pour it over ice. Garnish as desired with lemon slices or a sprig of mint.
Hint: Although it is not truly southern, you can add various flavors, such as peppermint, peach, or raspberry, to your tea.
YIELD: 4 QUARTS (16 CUPS)