flipSouthern Sweet Iced Tea
Southern Sweet Iced Tea
Why this dish? Sweet tea is the ubiquitous drink of African American and Southern tables in the 20th century, served at all hours to every guest. For Abbey Lincoln and her family, it was the sweet coolness that accompanied long Sunday dinners and warm evenings.
Strongly brewed black tea, sweetened while hot so the sugar dissolves completely, then served very cold over ice with a lemon slice — refreshing and unapologetically sweet.
In our house, iced tea was never far away, summer or winter, and always sweet — real sweet, not shy. The trick is to put the sugar in while the tea is still boiling hot, otherwise it never dissolves right. We'd serve it in a big pitcher, with a lemon slice, and everyone would help themselves. It's sweet, it cools you down, and it loosens tongues around the table.
- •Black tea — a few pinches or bags (infusion)
- •Sugar — generously (sweetness)
- •Water — a large pitcher (base)
- •Lemon — a few slices (fresh acidity)
Southern Sweet Iced Tea
Strongly brewed black tea, sweetened while hot so the sugar dissolves completely, then served very cold over ice with a lemon slice — refreshing and unapologetically sweet.
Why this dish? Sweet tea is the ubiquitous drink of African American and Southern tables in the 20th century, served at all hours to every guest. For Abbey Lincoln and her family, it was the sweet coolness that accompanied long Sunday dinners and warm evenings.
In our house, iced tea was never far away, summer or winter, and always sweet — real sweet, not shy. The trick is to put the sugar in while the tea is still boiling hot, otherwise it never dissolves right. We'd serve it in a big pitcher, with a lemon slice, and everyone would help themselves. It's sweet, it cools you down, and it loosens tongues around the table.
Ingredients (period version)
- Black tea — a few pinches or bags (infusion)
- Sugar — generously (sweetness)
- Water — a large pitcher (base)
- Lemon — a few slices (fresh acidity)
Ingredients
- Black tea (Ceylon type) — 4 bags or 4 tsp (infusion)
- Sugar — 100 to 150 g (to taste) (sweetness)
- Water — 1.5 liters (base)
- Lemon — 1, sliced (freshness)
- Ice and mint leaves — as needed (service)
Method
- Bring 500 ml water to a boil, remove from heat, and steep the tea for 5 minutes (no longer, to avoid bitterness).
- Remove the tea, add sugar to the hot infusion and stir until completely dissolved.
- Pour into a large pitcher, top up with the remaining cold water.
- Add lemon slices, refrigerate, then serve over plenty of ice with a mint leaf.
How it was made : Sweet iced tea spread across the American South at the turn of the 20th century with the availability of ice, becoming a signature of Southern and African American hospitality. It was made in large quantities, in a pitcher always ready for visitors.
The contemporary twist : An 'Arnold Palmer' version by mixing half sweet tea, half homemade lemonade.
Sources : John T. Edge, The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South (2017)
Abbey Lincoln · Charactorium
