The all American Drink

The most commonly consumed tea in the western world today is black tea. Second only to coffee in its popularity, black tea has proven to be the favorite tea with Americans in every part of the country. While we may be unified as to what type of tea we like, how we drink our tea is often unique to local or regional cultural. Even though 80% of all tea served in the United States is served iced or cold, where you live in the United States may decide how you drink your black tea.

In the South, most tea is iced and sweet and is drank year around. Most Southern restaurants serve tea sugar sweetened and with a slice of lemon perched on the edge of the glass. For no sugar in your glass, order 'plain tea' or un-sweet tea. When having dinner at someone's home, expect sweet tea, with your meal, but don't worry, a good hostess always has a picture of plain tea on hand just in case.

To make a pitcher of ice tea use double the amount of tea you would use for the same amount of hot tea. Loose tea is wonderful for making ice tea or hot tea. Just fill a tea infuser with your favorite tea leaves and steep in boiling water. Remember to leave some space in the infuser for the leaves to expand when they hydrate. When using tea bags, three or four large bags steeped in two quarts of boiling water will yield a gallon of tea. After the tea has steeped the desired amount of time then add sugar to taste and two quarts of cool water. Be sure to chill the tea before pouring it over the ice in the glasses. To prevent diluting the whole pitcher of tea, never add ice to the tea pitcher. Place the ice in each glass and then pour the cooled tea over it.

In the North I am told, 'tea' is served hot and not with ice unless requested. In the winter, Southerners and Northerners alike enjoy 'hot tea' as it is called here in the South. If loose tea is used, a teaspoon of tea leaves steeped in six ounces of boiling water for two or three minutes will yield a pleasant, but small cup of tea. The strength of the tea, whether brewed with tea leaves in an infuser or a bag, depends on the length of time the tea is steeped.

Tea is a beverage enjoyed for centuries in every region of the world. Loose or bagged, tea is enjoyable with meals and is a pleasant way to warm up, or cool down or to just relax. Enjoy tea, hot or cold, sweet or plain every day.

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