A friend recently returned from a southern vacation. She ate properly, so as to not to gain weight, even though she was on vacation. When she arrived home and stepped on her scale, she discovered that she had put on quite a few pounds. She just couldn't understand it. She had avoided all the rich desserts, southern fried delights and only drank iced tea. What could have happened?

I asked her about the tea and was informed that, “They have the best tea in the south; they call it ‘sweet tea.'” Mystery solved.

There are two traditional iced teas in the United States. The only variation between them is sugar.

Southerners swear by their traditional sweet ice tea and drink it by the gallons. In the south, ice tea is not just a summertime drink; it is served year 'round with most meals. When people order tea in a southern restaurant, chances are they will get sweet ice tea.

Sweet tea is a form of iced tea in which sugar or some other form of sweetener is added to the hot water before brewing.

Sweet tea has long been a staple beverage in the American south. Most family-style and fast food restaurants in the region offer the customer a choice of sweet tea or unsweetened iced tea. It is a signature drink of the region, to the point where the southern use of the word “tea” is largely used to refer specifically to cold, sweet tea and not to hot or unsweetened varieties. Its widespread use is probably due to its light taste, ease of preparation and low cost.

An important part of the tradition of sweet tea in the south is the fact that it can be made in large quantities, quickly and inexpensively. It is usually consumed daily as a staple soft drink or for a group situation or at family meals.

Iced tea is normally served unsweetened throughout the rest of the United States, though it is moderately common to add a small amount of sweetener to the already cold tea.

The recipe for sweet tea varies from household to household. A typical recipe involves bringing water to a boil, and then adding tea to steep. After it steeps for whatever time is deemed necessary, it is then mixed with sugar in water to fill the pitcher.

A lot of southerners put about a cup of sugar to the half gallon. Some add more or less depending on taste, or they might use artificial sweetener to some degree. Sugar in this case is almost always refined, granulated sugar. It is only rarely unrefined sugar or honey. Southerners almost never add milk or creamer of any sort to their tea. Some prefer to leave the tea in the pot, with or without the bags, so that it can be diluted or sweetened by the glass. This accommodates different tea drinkers that take sugar or artificial sweetener, from the same pot. It also prevents souring of the tea for a longer period of time than adding sugar to a diluted pitcher of brewed tea.

The end result is a tea in which the sweet factor overpowers the tea-taste factor and its characteristic bitterness. Other fruit juices are occasionally added making tea punch.

The oldest known recipe for sweet ice tea was published in 1879 in a community cookbook called “Housekeeping in Old Virginia” by Marion Cabell Tyree. This recipe calls for green tea. In fact, most sweet tea consumed during this period was green tea. However, during World War II, the major sources of green tea were cut off from the United States, leaving them with tea almost exclusively from British-controlled India which produces black tea. Americans came out of the war drinking nearly 99 percent black tea. Black teas is the tea of choice today.

As an April Fool's Day joke in 2003, Georgia State Representative John Noel and four co-sponsors introduced House Bill 819:

(a) As used in this Code section, the term “sweet tea” means iced tea that is sweetened with sugar at the time that it is brewed.

(b) Any food service establishment which serves iced tea must serve sweet tea. Such an establishment may serve unsweetened tea but in such case must also serve sweet tea.

(c) Any person who violates this code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature.

I have included a recipe for sweet tea. You can substitute Splenda for the sugar. A little experimentation may be needed to get the sweetness right for you. In most southern recipes it can't be sweet enough. Enjoy.

This column has been a collaborative effort between Auburn natives chef Max Hitchcock and his mother, Susan Silverman. They can be reached at Birdscapes@adelphia.net

Southern Delight Sweet Tea

3 family-size tea bags

2 cups of cold water

1 cup of sugar

Pinch of baking soda

Place tea bags in cold water and bring to a boil. As soon as it starts to boil remove from the heat (at this point, add a pinch of soda to the tea. This makes it darker and removes any bitterness). Place a tight fitting lid on the pot and steep tea for about 10 to 15 minutes. In a gallon container, place the sugar and enough hot water to dissolve the sugar, making a simple sugar syrup. After tea has steeped, pour into the sugar water and stir well. Add water to make 1 gallon.