Again with the MacDonald's!

[Gawdzillers]

Unsweetened is the only way to drink tea otherwise it is like flat, watery pop.

Something I have always wondered about ever since I first heard about sweet tea - has the South never heard of this invention called the sugar packet? Why let someone else determine the amount of sugar in your tea? Just serve it plain with a pile of sugar packets next to it and let everybody do their own thing.

Damn long-haired, Commie pinko...
Kidding.

We do have sugar packets.
And surprisingly (to you, at least), I've seen people dump a few in sweet tea.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Most places around here serve iced tea unsweetened with a lemon wedge on the edge of the glass. I usually add artificial sweetener (Splenda if they have it, or Equal) only because it dissolves better than sugar and you don't need as many packets. (I like sweet, but 2 Equals are usually enough.) I don't like lemon, though. If I'm with my parents I usually toss it in my mom's water.

My ex drinks it unsweetened. Ick.

When I was in Key West (back in '01) there was this one restaurant that had the best iced tea I've ever had. It was raspberry, which I don't normally like (artificial raspberry just doesn't taste right) but the flavor was so natural and subtle, and the tea itself was not the least bit bitter or anything. It was soooo good. And I've never had it anywhere else since .

My mom once ordered iced tea and automatically added sugar without tasting it. That was when she discovered it was already sweetened. She had to ask the waiter to bring her a new one.

And, for the record, I actually like flat soda (but not watery). I like to keep a bottle of Coke in the fridge for when I have a migraine (it settles my tummy) and I'll loosen the cap a bit so it will go flat.

[JustADude]

Something I have always wondered about ever since I first heard about sweet tea - has the South never heard of this invention called the sugar packet?

Ah, but that's the whole reason it's called Southern Style tea. As mentioned before, it's brewed strong enough to practically etch glass (which is how I like my coffee substitute, er... hot tea). You then dump the sugar in while it's hot, on the principle that it dissolves better than when it's cold in a glass and it STAYS dissolved. Besides, if you've ever been out doing yard work during a southern heat-wave, you'll pretty much end up craving it.

[blas]

Must be a Southern thing.........I've never been to a restaurant in WI that serves sweet tea. Hell, before this thread, I had no idea what it was or what it tasted like.

I know I don't care for tea or even iced tea......

[I See Stupid People]

Traveling from Michigan to Florida, we would always know when we hit the "real" south when the resturants would start serving sweet tea. My favorite part of the trip! And no, adding sugar after the fact is just NOT the same!

[CaroPhoenix]

I remember when my husband & I went to New York to catch a cruise to Canada for our honeymoon.

Going up there was a chore 'cos there. was. no. sweet. tea. I had to artificially sweeten my tea.

When we hit one of the 2 Canadian ports we were scheduled to land in (it was a 5 day cruise), we went to a local restaurant and we asked for iced tea. I almost kissed our waiter when he asked "Sweet or unsweet?"

[tollbaby]

I dunno... maybe I was raised funny, but where I come from, hot tea isn't sweetened, but iced tea ALWAYS is

[JustADude]

Tollbaby, you're a southerner, right?

[tollbaby]

I'm a Canadian :P

[trunks2k]

you mean people will drink it.... UNsweetened? *blech* Granted, I don't dump a whole bowl of sugar in mine, one equal or sweet & low packet is usually enough. I'll use two if it's particularly strong tea.

I drink it unsweetened. I hate sweetened tea or coffee, iced or not. When it comes to ice tea, just gimmie a bunch of lemon and I'm a happy boy, as once I'm done with the tea, I'll eat the lemon. the entire thing. rind and all.

[tollbaby]

I drink it unsweetened. I hate sweetened tea or coffee, iced or not. When it comes to ice tea, just gimmie a bunch of lemon and I'm a happy boy, as once I'm done with the tea, I'll eat the lemon. the entire thing. rind and all.

Jeff? sorry, the only person I've ever met who did that is my ex-husband

[JustADude]

I'm a Canadian :P

Ah, my bad. Guess that aversion to batch-sweetened iced-tea must be a Northern-USA thing, and not a climate-zone related issue like I was thinking. Hmmm, back to the drawing board.

[myswtghst]

... I'm a happy boy, as once I'm done with the tea, I'll eat the lemon. the entire thing. rind and all.

My dad and I do this as well--lemons, limes and oranges, we eat the rind and all. I also used to LOVE to suck on lemons when I was little, though I'm not supposed to eat them anymore, as the acidity has actually damaged the enamel on my already weak teeth.

[trunks2k]

My dad and I do this as well--lemons, limes and oranges, we eat the rind and all.

I only do it to lemons, I don't like orange rinds, and I'm not very fond of lime. I always eat a slice of lemon the same way:

- Suck out all as much juice from the flesh as I can.
- tear the flesh from the rind with my teeth and eat it.
- tear the white stuff from the rind with my teeth and eat it.
- slowly nibble on the remaining rind. It can take me over 5 minutes to complete this step.

[CurlyLocks]

I love eating lemon slices too but I've never eaten the rind. I didn't know anyone actually did that. I think I'll try it, just for the heck of it.