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Food Nation

Tea in Texas? Please Pass the Sugar

When I moved to Texas around eight-and-a-half years ago, I found out something so shocking that it shook me at my very core. Some people drink tea without any form of sweetener here. What in the hell is the point? I just couldn't believe it then, and I still have trouble.

I am originally from the great state of Florida, and the only reason people ask for unsweetened tea is so they can put an artificial sweetener in it. To make real southern-style sweet tea, you have to add the sugar while the water is hot so it dissolves. Whenever I have tried to make sweet tea at a restaurant all the sugar floats to the bottom, so I usually just end up ordering water.

So, I have a couple questions for the EOW faithful:

1) What's the deal with un-sweet tea? 2) Does anyone know of some restaurants that sell real sweet tea?

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Lennie Ambrose