Sweet Tea

You'd think I would learn.

Here in our new community you can't order an "iced tea"and expect to receive the cool, brisk refreshing drink I've been accustomed to. You have to specify "unsweet". Even after 7 months in Tennessee, I still struggle with this concept. Up North you say, "Iced tea, please" and it comes to you unsweetened, as a matter of course. But here in the South, an "iced tea" is actually tea with a healthy dose of sugar. This is known as "Sweetea".

I freely admit that I like my sugary treats from time to time, so sometimes I have a hankering for tea with a dash of sugar. I order a "half and half". That's just about right for me. I can still taste the tea, but I get an extra pow.

Today at the local Krispy Kreme shop I was reminded of the South's 'tea culture'. Noelle and I were out running errands and we stopped by to redeem her coupon for a free doughnut. I decided to skip the doughnut and just get something cold to drink. I ordered myself an iced tea and Noelle a cinnamon bun (she wanted 'chocolate' like any properly bred young lady, but I didn't want a wired kid so close to nap time). We handed the nice man our coupon and money, and off we went to the car to head home.

Inside the car I took a long sip of my cold drink...and almost choked. Argh!! Sweetea!! I had forgotten yet again.

I had a stray thought. Why does a doughnut establishment even serve "sweetea" (what I affectionately call "sugar, with a little tea on the side")? People are already eating high-blood-sugar-inducing pastries. Do we want to add "diabetic coma" to that diagnosis??

Disclaimer: I do love Krispy Creme glazed doughnuts. I just eat mine with milk.