Tea Culture in America

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

In the South, most tea is iced and sweet and is drank around the year. Most Southern restaurants serve it sugar sweetened and with a slice of lemon perched on the edge of the glass. If you prefer it with no sugar in yours, order it plain or un-sweet. 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 unsweetened on hand just in case.

To make a pitcher of ice tea use double the amount of leaves or tea bags you would use for the same amount of hot tea. Loose leaf tea is delicious hot or iced. Just fill an 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 steeping the desired amount of time to achieve the strength you want, add sugar to suit your taste and two quarts of cold water. Be sure to chill the tea before pouring it over the ice in the glasses. To prevent diluting the whole pitcher only add ice to the individual glasses before pouring.

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 leaf tea is used, a teaspoon of tea leaves steeped in six ounces of boiling water for three to six minutes will yield a pleasant cup. The strength of the tea, whether brewed with tea leaves in an infuser or a bag, depends on the length of time the leaves steep in the hot water.

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

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