Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Tea at the Ritz

Disclaimer: If you're not southern, you won't understand. If you drink "UN"sweet tea, you still won't understand.


Now I don't know what yankees drink, or even those people way out in California, but down here, in the south, we drink sweet tea.

I drink coffee on the way to work, then tea, more tea, maybe a pepsi, then my favorite part of getting home (right after I hug everyone) is enjoying a glass of tea. I drink tea with dinner, I drink tea while watching TV. We drink a lot of tea in my house. (now I do make the boys drink more milk) We even quit making a gallon of tea at a time. We make 2 gallons. Yes- in my fridge you will find 2 gallon jugs of tea.

And when we go out, we are particular about what kind of tea we will drink in a restaurant. Instant tea is NOT it. Brewed, lipton or luzianne and that is it. There is a great debate among southerners which is best. Personally I am a lipton girl, which is all we buy at home. But out in public as long as it is brewed I'm happy. And don't put baking soda in it! If you steep it correctly it won't be bitter.

I remember my first trip up north. I was in the 9th grade and it was when Snapple first came out. We were in Boston and there were barrels of free Snapple on every corner. We kept trying different flavors (kiwi-strawberry is still my fav) to see how they tasted. While walking downtown, we came across a barrel of tea flavored Snapple, I had to have one, figuring I would finally get a taste of tea that I hadn't had the whole trip. I took one sip and gagged - then proceeded to spit it all over the sidewalk in front of the Ritz-Carlton. Passerby's gasped. I didn't care, that sh**stuff was gross. It wasn't even tea - it was like weird crap flavored water. It was the first time in my life I felt bad for yankee's, no wonder they're ornery, all they have is crap water to drink.

I understand that some people think we're nuts - but what do you drink? Soda? As if that is better for you.

You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. ~C.S. Lewis

10 comments:

  1. yes, tea is a southern thing. we only drink it in the summer. well, my family. i personally (gasp) do not like tea. one of my summer memories is of my mom making a big glass jar of sun tea in the summer, and sitting it on the front porch to brew. i didn't drink it then and i won't drink it now!

    i drink coke (which we call pop) but mostly water and sometimes crystal light, raspberry ice.

    love, a midwest farmer's daughter
    HA!

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  2. Totally a Southern thing that I love. Not PERSONALLY, but I love that you guys love it.

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  3. Well in South Africa most people drink sodas - coke, sprite, ginger beer etc. But Lipton Iced Tea (as we call it) is a big favourite too and we use it but NOT as regularly as you guys do! Its a summer drink, lazy by the pool, entertainer type day.

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  4. I'm a Chicagoan posing as a Sooner. I have never found sweet tea in any restaurant when I lived "up north." The only way it was sweet was if you added something to it at the table. Not the way I liked it. Here I've never come across a restaurant that does NOT serve sweet tea. DH, who is from here, drinks unsweetened like me. My boys like it sweet. Granddaughter don't care as long as she drink something out of somebody's cup.

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  5. We Yankees drink soda...until we move South and people laugh at us for saying "soda." I have learned to like sweet tea/lemonade. Baby steps...

    Thanks for stopping by my blog the other day. I appreciated your comments, and I hope you'll come back and visit again.

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  6. I'm a fellow Southerner who loves sweet tea. My Hubs is a Yankee (what can I say, he was cute!)and I think I and my family introduced him to good sweet tea. In fact, when we visit his mom up north, he won't drink it unless I've made it!

    Then there was the first time he had collards and fried corn bread....

    p.s. Thanks for stopping by my blog!

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  7. now thats funny and I happen to like that 'crap water'. ;)

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  8. A fellow southerner here, I love me some sweet tea. Unsweetened tea is definitely not as good!

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  9. Hi...
    Thank you for sharing such a nice information. I love tea. Actually I can say that am quite addicted to it. I love sweet tea especially.

    acai

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  10. EWWW - Jen likes the 'crap water'.

    Anna K. shh don't tell anyone, but I married a yankee too - although he has been down south since he was 10 and I have since converted him to a Good Ol' Southern Boy!

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