Sweet Tea & The South: A History
When you think of the South, you probably think of sweet tea. The two have become synonymous with each other in every account. No one questions why sweet tea is the holy water of the South, yet history tells of a surviving need for honeyed elixir. The concoction is relatively new compared to hot tea seeped in Asian cultures. Against the thousands-year-old hot tea, sweet tea was just created in the early 19th century. The first recipe was published in the 1839 book The Kentucky Housewife by Lettice Bryan. She suggests combining very strong tea with tons of sweet cream and sugar. Though this may sound close to today’s recipe, she then says to stir in a whole bottle of Champagne or claret. The alcohol-infused tea is boiled together in a final step and then served hot or cold. As the recipe moved into the 20th century, black tea leaves were substituted for green tea leaves. Increasing imports from Africa, India, and South America made the darker leaves cheaper and more abundant t