On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 16:17:51 -0500, Mike Petro wrote:

>>Yes, but we southerners add only sugar and possibly lemon to our iced
>>tea. None of that tapioca junk.
>
> And maybe even a sprig of fresh spearmint....

Or even, now that I think about it, some nice fresh berries. Ok, so
maybe we do add other things to our iced tea. Just none of that
tapioca junk.


--
Derek

"The kids of today know they are the future. And they're out there,
right now, trying to replace us." -- Jon Stewart

I almost gagged the first time I had the tapioca - "what are these chunks
coming up my straw??!" but now I love it!

I always thought iced tea (western style) came in two styles -
pre-sweetened and flavoured, which I thought was American style, and just
straight cold black tea and ice, with a little pitcher of syrup on the
side to sweeten yourself, which I thought was British style. Not sure
where I got that impression from though.

The asian "iced-tea revolution" may well have been influenced by Americans
and other westerners, Maybe the American esp. military presence in Taiwan
in the 60s and 70s introduced the concept, which then caught on locally
and was marketed by people like Liu.

I do know that a lot of Taiwanese and Chinese still view drinking cold
drinks with suspicion, saying its not good for one's health.
Traditionally beverages were always hot, probably coming from the very
practical need to boil water before drinking it for health reasons. If it
wasn't hot, then it would be suspicious.

But in the last 10 or more years in Taiwan, and much more recently in
China, cold bottled teas (green, oolong, black - and Nestea!) are sold in
convenience stores - they're now very popular, but probably especially
with the younger set. Plus everyone has a fridge nowadays.

I happened to live in Taichung in Taiwan, where I was introduced to Chun
Shui Tang. Just lucked out I guess.

Steve

Mydnight wrote:

> Ya, I'm with you guys. I ate at a restaurant last night and had
> 'sweet iced tea' which is basically had enough sugar to make me wired
> all night long.
>
> My grandmother used to put some spearmint from her garden in her tea.
>
>
Proper sweet tea is made not with sugar, directly, but with simple
syrup, which is sugar dissolved in water. It took me a while to learn
to order unsweet tea and then sweeten it myself.

dmh

On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 10:08:59 -0500, Steve97 wrote:

> I almost gagged the first time I had the tapioca - "what are these chunks
> coming up my straw??!" but now I love it!

Well, sure. If you like tapioca (it's on my short list with eggplant
and asparagus.)

> I always thought iced tea (western style) came in two styles -
> pre-sweetened and flavoured, which I thought was American style, and just
> straight cold black tea and ice, with a little pitcher of syrup on the
> side to sweeten yourself, which I thought was British style. Not sure
> where I got that impression from though.

Iced tea is more complicated than that.

Of course, there's the standard "iced tea", which is a black or
blended tea. Luzianne, which I have to have shipped to Minnesota from
Kentucky, is a blend of teas made just for iced tea. This is, of
course, unsweetened.

But if you go into just about any restaurant in the U.S. "South,"
you'd have a choice between "iced tea" and "sweet tea." The latter is
already heavily sweetened with sugar (not syrup).

Then you can add flavors. Raspberry iced tea is one of my favorite
flavored teas. Of course, these are almost always sweetened. However,
I've found that I can make a pretty good raspberry iced tea using our
standard, unsweetened Luzianne from the refrigerator and adding about
1/3 cup of a sugar free raspberry beverage that my wife likes to
drink.

Then, of course, one could go to the Good Earth restaurants and one
has a choice of several unsweetened varieties of Iced Tea. Their
"standard" iced tea is heavily spiced and I actually don't like it.
Their China Black iced tea is what the wife and I order.

But, after thinking about it, there are probably only 3 major styles -
straight, sweetened, and flavored. But when my brother-in-law asked
for "sweet tea" in a Two Harbors, Minnesota restaurant, the waitron
gave him the blankest of stares.


> The asian "iced-tea revolution" may well have been influenced by Americans
> and other westerners, Maybe the American esp. military presence in Taiwan
> in the 60s and 70s introduced the concept, which then caught on locally
> and was marketed by people like Liu.
>
> I do know that a lot of Taiwanese and Chinese still view drinking cold
> drinks with suspicion, saying its not good for one's health.
> Traditionally beverages were always hot, probably coming from the very
> practical need to boil water before drinking it for health reasons. If it
> wasn't hot, then it would be suspicious.

Pepsi Co. and Coca Cola are selling billons of dollars of carbonated
beverages in China. Are they consumed "unchilled" there?

I ask because in 1993, I discovered that warm Coca Cola was actually
pretty good, since the Russian family with whom I was living thought
drinking chilled Coke was nuts.

> But in the last 10 or more years in Taiwan, and much more recently in
> China, cold bottled teas (green, oolong, black - and Nestea!) are sold in
> convenience stores - they're now very popular, but probably especially
> with the younger set. Plus everyone has a fridge nowadays.

I really do wonder if that last "reason" has more to do with it than a
lot of other reasons.

> I happened to live in Taichung in Taiwan, where I was introduced to Chun
> Shui Tang. Just lucked out I guess.

--
Derek

It's lonely at the top.
But it's comforting to look down upon everyone at the bottom.

On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 09:54:11 -0600, David M. Harris wrote:

> Mydnight wrote:
>
>> Ya, I'm with you guys. I ate at a restaurant last night and had
>> 'sweet iced tea' which is basically had enough sugar to make me wired
>> all night long.
>>
>> My grandmother used to put some spearmint from her garden in her tea.
>>
>>
> Proper sweet tea is made not with sugar, directly, but with simple
> syrup, which is sugar dissolved in water. It took me a while to learn
> to order unsweet tea and then sweeten it myself.
>
> dmh

"Proper" is just another word for "pretentious."

--
Derek

Never be afraid to share your dreams with the world.
Because there's nothing the world loves more than
the taste of really sweet dreams.

On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 09:54:11 -0600, "David M. Harris"
> wrote:

>Mydnight wrote:
>
>> Ya, I'm with you guys. I ate at a restaurant last night and had
>> 'sweet iced tea' which is basically had enough sugar to make me wired
>> all night long.
>>
>> My grandmother used to put some spearmint from her garden in her tea.
>>
>>
>Proper sweet tea is made not with sugar, directly, but with simple
>syrup, which is sugar dissolved in water. It took me a while to learn
>to order unsweet tea and then sweeten it myself.
>
>dmh

I guess my family and nearly all of the southern region of the USA has
been making improper sweet tea for generations.

Quotes himself:

V guvax vg'f whfg bar bs gubfr fbhgurea HF genqvgvbaf gung'f fvzcyl
ybfg ba gur erfg bs gur jbeyq. V zrna, vg unf tnvarq fbzr cerinyrapr
urer naq gurer, ohg sbe gur zbfg cneg vs lbh nfx n cebcre
Ratyvfuzna/jbzna sbe n tynff bs vprq grn, gurl fpbss naq favpxre
cergragvbhfyl nf vs vg'f fbzr vzcebcre pbqr bs pbaqhpg.

Vg'f shaal ubj Nzrevpnaf ner ivrjrq va gur jbeyq nf pynffyrff naq
jvgubhg phygher fvzcyl orpnhfr jr qb fbzr guvatf qvssreragyl, ohg gur
erfg bs gur jbeyq vfa'g ivrjrq nf cergragvbhf sbe guvaxvat gung gurve
jnl vf pbeerpg naq gur bayl jnl, vfa'g vg?

heh. I love irony.



Mydnight

--------------------
thus then i turn me from my countries light, to dwell in the solemn shades of an endless night.

>I almost gagged the first time I had the tapioca - "what are these chunks
>coming up my straw??!" but now I love it!

I think it's decent to drink it from time to time. I don't think I've
had the tea version of it before; always in some kind of juice or
chocolate milk.

>The asian "iced-tea revolution" may well have been influenced by Americans
>and other westerners, Maybe the American esp. military presence in Taiwan
>in the 60s and 70s introduced the concept, which then caught on locally
>and was marketed by people like Liu.

I don't know if influenced or originated would be the correct way of
looking at it.

>
>I do know that a lot of Taiwanese and Chinese still view drinking cold
>drinks with suspicion, saying its not good for one's health.
>Traditionally beverages were always hot, probably coming from the very
>practical need to boil water before drinking it for health reasons. If it
>wasn't hot, then it would be suspicious.

Smaller town kids, maybe, still view it as odd because their parents
don't drink much of anything iced or cold. It may have something to
do with the clean water conditions, but it's more to do with the
Eastern style of medicine based on hot and cold. There is a major
exception when it comes to Beer and other alcholic beverages, though.
Beer is nearly always served cold or chilled.

It can make for some interesting discussion. I recall being bombarded
by some of the more elderly folks in a small Sichuan town that
drinking too much cold water (on a 34 degree summer day) can be bad
for my health. I would often buy bottled water in small shops.

"Too much cold water, bad for your health!"

>
>But in the last 10 or more years in Taiwan, and much more recently in
>China, cold bottled teas (green, oolong, black - and Nestea!) are sold in
>convenience stores - they're now very popular, but probably especially
>with the younger set. Plus everyone has a fridge nowadays.

Nestea is huge in China. Nearly the only coffee widely available is
the Nescafe powered form unless you go to a coffeeshop. And, then
it's even more fun to watch them brew the coffee because many shops
have these odd looking apparatuses that resemble a chemistry set when
brewing coffee. As for nestea itself, it is only readily available at
small stores and grocery stores; not at all in the bags like we have
it in the US.

>
>I happened to live in Taichung in Taiwan, where I was introduced to Chun
>Shui Tang. Just lucked out I guess.

When I bump over to Taiwan in the summer, I'll definitely check it
out. I may be calling you and asking for directions. heh.


Mydnight

--------------------
thus then i turn me from my countries light, to dwell in the solemn shades of an endless night.

I don't know that "proper" is the issue...I'm not from the US South and I
don't drink much iced tea...having said that...

simple syrup goes into a cold liquid a whole lot more thoroughly than
granulated sugar...ever try to stir in a spoonfull of sugar in iced tea and
see it swirling around in the bottom of the glass? (That MAY be the point to
using granulated though, since when you do it that way, you have to put in
more sugar and then when you drink to the bottom you get this shot of really
sweet tea at the end....)

Melinda, who thinks iced Moroccan Mint green tea is swell.

--
"The country has entered an era in which
questions are not asked, for questions are
daughters of disquiet or arrogance, both
fruits of temptation and the food of sacrilege." Djaout
"Derek" > wrote in message ...
> On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 09:54:11 -0600, David M. Harris wrote:
>
>> Mydnight wrote:
>>
>>> Ya, I'm with you guys. I ate at a restaurant last night and had
>>> 'sweet iced tea' which is basically had enough sugar to make me wired
>>> all night long.
>>>
>>> My grandmother used to put some spearmint from her garden in her tea.
>>>
>>>
>> Proper sweet tea is made not with sugar, directly, but with simple
>> syrup, which is sugar dissolved in water. It took me a while to learn
>> to order unsweet tea and then sweeten it myself.
>>
>> dmh
>
> "Proper" is just another word for "pretentious."
>
> --
> Derek
>
> Never be afraid to share your dreams with the world.
> Because there's nothing the world loves more than
> the taste of really sweet dreams.

On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 10:48:03 -0800, Melinda wrote:

> I don't know that "proper" is the issue...I'm not from the US South and I
> don't drink much iced tea...having said that...

I was teasing about the use of the term "proper," you know.

> simple syrup goes into a cold liquid a whole lot more thoroughly than
> granulated sugar...ever try to stir in a spoonfull of sugar in iced tea and
> see it swirling around in the bottom of the glass? (That MAY be the point to
> using granulated though, since when you do it that way, you have to put in
> more sugar and then when you drink to the bottom you get this shot of really
> sweet tea at the end....)

Y'all need to think outside the cup.

Yes, for individual use, sugar doesn't dissolve worth a plug nickel in
a glass of iced tea. The last drink ends up being horribly sweet
because the sugar at the bottom finally dissolved but never got
stirred up.

But when one is sweetening it by the pitcher, one can add sugar
straight to the freshly steeped tea which is, after all, hot enough to
dissolve the sugar.

> Melinda, who thinks iced Moroccan Mint green tea is swell.

Oooh. That sounds good!
--
Derek

Luck can't last a lifetime unless you die young.

I think I'll have to head to the southern states to check out all those
varieties of iced teas. Sounds great!

I still get asked all the time in China if I want my beer cold, like it's
not the default option. Something I've never gotten used to.

>simple syrup goes into a cold liquid a whole lot more thoroughly than
>granulated sugar...ever try to stir in a spoonfull of sugar in iced tea and
>see it swirling around in the bottom of the glass? (That MAY be the point to
>using granulated though, since when you do it that way, you have to put in
>more sugar and then when you drink to the bottom you get this shot of really
>sweet tea at the end....)


Down here, as Derek said, we usually sweeten the entire pitcher while
the tea is hot, or actually while the tea is still boiling on the
stove.




Mydnight

--------------------
thus then i turn me from my countries light, to dwell in the solemn shades of an endless night.

On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 21:10:05 GMT, Mydnight wrote:

>>simple syrup goes into a cold liquid a whole lot more thoroughly than
>>granulated sugar...ever try to stir in a spoonfull of sugar in iced tea and
>>see it swirling around in the bottom of the glass? (That MAY be the point to
>>using granulated though, since when you do it that way, you have to put in
>>more sugar and then when you drink to the bottom you get this shot of really
>>sweet tea at the end....)
>
>
> Down here, as Derek said, we usually sweeten the entire pitcher while
> the tea is hot, or actually while the tea is still boiling on the
> stove.

Actually, in all my "years", I'd never heard of making a syrup for
sweetening tea by the glass. I'll admit it makes sense, but it's not
something I'd ever seen done. Then again, I only lived in the South
for 6 years. The previous 18, I traveled through it with family
frequently.

Then again, Alton Brown of "Good Eats" has a recipe for Sweet Tea on
the FoodNetwork site that includes making a syrup. And he typically
knows what he's talking about - even if he is actually a bigger geek
than I am.

--
Derek

It's amazing how much easier it is for a team to work together when no
one has any idea where they're going.

Having worked as a Restaurant Manager in my younger years I can attest
to the fact that making a "syrup" was indeed commonplace. We used to
fill a 2qt pitcher full of sugar and then add enough hot water to
dissolve it. One pitcher of syrup was enough to sweeten one of those
tall SS Iced Tea decanters. I have also seen some high end Deli's
that only served unsweetened Iced Tea but made their own syrup to put
on the table, it really does mix tremendously better than granules.
Unsweetened Iced Tea also has a longer shelf life as the sugar could
easily lead to fermentation if left at room temperature which is all
too often the practice.

Mike
http://www.pu-erh.net


On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 18:57:50 -0600, Derek > cast caution
to the wind and posted:

>On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 21:10:05 GMT, Mydnight wrote:
>
>>>simple syrup goes into a cold liquid a whole lot more thoroughly than
>>>granulated sugar...ever try to stir in a spoonfull of sugar in iced tea and
>>>see it swirling around in the bottom of the glass? (That MAY be the point to
>>>using granulated though, since when you do it that way, you have to put in
>>>more sugar and then when you drink to the bottom you get this shot of really
>>>sweet tea at the end....)
>>
>>
>> Down here, as Derek said, we usually sweeten the entire pitcher while
>> the tea is hot, or actually while the tea is still boiling on the
>> stove.
>
>Actually, in all my "years", I'd never heard of making a syrup for
>sweetening tea by the glass. I'll admit it makes sense, but it's not
>something I'd ever seen done. Then again, I only lived in the South
>for 6 years. The previous 18, I traveled through it with family
>frequently.
>
>Then again, Alton Brown of "Good Eats" has a recipe for Sweet Tea on
>the FoodNetwork site that includes making a syrup. And he typically
>knows what he's talking about - even if he is actually a bigger geek
>than I am.


Mike Petro
http://www.pu-erh.net
remove the "filter" in my email address to reply

On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 20:42:02 -0500, Mike Petro wrote:

> Having worked as a Restaurant Manager in my younger years I can attest
> to the fact that making a "syrup" was indeed commonplace. We used to
> fill a 2qt pitcher full of sugar and then add enough hot water to
> dissolve it. One pitcher of syrup was enough to sweeten one of those
> tall SS Iced Tea decanters. I have also seen some high end Deli's
> that only served unsweetened Iced Tea but made their own syrup to put
> on the table, it really does mix tremendously better than granules.
> Unsweetened Iced Tea also has a longer shelf life as the sugar could
> easily lead to fermentation if left at room temperature which is all
> too often the practice.

Again, there's no argument that a sugar syrup dissolves more readily.

But what a restaurant does is not necessarily what millions of people
do in their homes. After all, there's a lot of things that restaurants
do to food, such as placing it under a heating lamp, that a common
household chef would not do.

As for the shelf life... a) it's iced tea so it's supposed to be kept
cold. B) if your sweet tea is sitting around long enough to ferment,
you're not a true southerner.

--
Derek

It takes 43 muscles to frown and 17 to smile, but it doesn't take any
to just sit there with a dumb look on your face.

I never implied that millions do it, I was just backing up the fact
that it is indeed fairly common. It is not confined to just
restaurants either, I know of many housewives who do the same thing,
my Mother-In-Law for example. I personally only make unsweetened iced
tea as I like it without sugar. I make a syrup for guests and serve it
in a honey type squeeze bottle. And yes, in my house the pitcher is
kept in the frig and seldom lasts more than a meal period.

As for keeping Iced Tea at room temperature you will notice that I
disagree with the practice when I said "all too often". Nonetheless it
is extremely common for restaurants to do so. I have often tasted
sweet tea that started to ferment and it takes less than day to do so
when sugar is added to hot tea and allowed to sit around all day.
There have been several studies that have shown that restaurant sweet
tea often has unsafe levels of bacteria. The machinery they use
actually encourages it. Those tall Bunn Iced Tea brewing machines that
will brew 3-5 gallons at time are typically left out on the counter
and not refrigerated.

Mike



On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 22:19:23 -0600, Derek > cast caution
to the wind and posted:

>On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 20:42:02 -0500, Mike Petro wrote:
>
>> Having worked as a Restaurant Manager in my younger years I can attest
>> to the fact that making a "syrup" was indeed commonplace. We used to
>> fill a 2qt pitcher full of sugar and then add enough hot water to
>> dissolve it. One pitcher of syrup was enough to sweeten one of those
>> tall SS Iced Tea decanters. I have also seen some high end Deli's
>> that only served unsweetened Iced Tea but made their own syrup to put
>> on the table, it really does mix tremendously better than granules.
>> Unsweetened Iced Tea also has a longer shelf life as the sugar could
>> easily lead to fermentation if left at room temperature which is all
>> too often the practice.
>
>Again, there's no argument that a sugar syrup dissolves more readily.
>
>But what a restaurant does is not necessarily what millions of people
>do in their homes. After all, there's a lot of things that restaurants
>do to food, such as placing it under a heating lamp, that a common
>household chef would not do.
>
>As for the shelf life... a) it's iced tea so it's supposed to be kept
>cold. B) if your sweet tea is sitting around long enough to ferment,
>you're not a true southerner.

On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 06:14:46 -0500, Mike Petro wrote:

> I never implied that millions do it, I was just backing up the fact
> that it is indeed fairly common. It is not confined to just
> restaurants either, I know of many housewives who do the same thing,
> my Mother-In-Law for example. I personally only make unsweetened iced
> tea as I like it without sugar. I make a syrup for guests and serve it
> in a honey type squeeze bottle. And yes, in my house the pitcher is
> kept in the frig and seldom lasts more than a meal period.
>
> As for keeping Iced Tea at room temperature you will notice that I
> disagree with the practice when I said "all too often". Nonetheless it
> is extremely common for restaurants to do so. I have often tasted
> sweet tea that started to ferment and it takes less than day to do so
> when sugar is added to hot tea and allowed to sit around all day.
> There have been several studies that have shown that restaurant sweet
> tea often has unsafe levels of bacteria. The machinery they use
> actually encourages it. Those tall Bunn Iced Tea brewing machines that
> will brew 3-5 gallons at time are typically left out on the counter
> and not refrigerated.

When it comes to food safety, we are often our own worst enemies. It's
not the meat packing plants, it's our own kitchens.

I've heard of a study, but have not seen it, that tested counter tops
and floors. The floors had less bacteria than the counter tops.
--
Derek

"Stir, whip, stir, whip, whip, whip, stir. Beat!" - Chef Gormaanda

Sugar syrup is used when mixing certain alcoholic drinks. This method
promotes even mixing. I daresay it is used when even mixing is desired.

My wife is from South Carolina and tells me she "brews the sugar in." I
am not sure what this means, but I believe it has something to do with
getting even mixing of the sugar. Also, many southerners lament the
inavailability of "sweet tea" in the North. One surefire way to make
many southernes I've known order a Coke is to offer them sugar packets
and unsweetened tea when they wanted "sweet tea".

Given what others have said, it appears there is no consensus on the
matter of whether sugar syrup is proper or not.

Steve

I spent my preteens on the Gulf Coast. My mom would only use Sugar
Cane from Lousiana granulated or syrup for tea and cooking. These days
I only drink unsweetened tea hot or cold. If I did use sugar it would
be sugar cane for tea. The taste is completely different than refined
sugar.

Jim

Steve Hay wrote:
....fairy dust...
> Given what others have said, it appears there is no consensus on the
> matter of whether sugar syrup is proper or not.
>
> Steve

On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 14:24:50 GMT, Steve Hay wrote:

> Sugar syrup is used when mixing certain alcoholic drinks. This method
> promotes even mixing. I daresay it is used when even mixing is desired.

No debate on that here.

> My wife is from South Carolina and tells me she "brews the sugar in." I
> am not sure what this means, but I believe it has something to do with
> getting even mixing of the sugar. Also, many southerners lament the
> inavailability of "sweet tea" in the North. One surefire way to make
> many southernes I've known order a Coke is to offer them sugar packets
> and unsweetened tea when they wanted "sweet tea".

In my experience, "Brews the sugar in" means that the sugar is added
to the water before steeping. I've seen people add sugar to cold water
before putting the kettle on the stove, and I've seen people add sugar
to boiling water just before adding the tea.

> Given what others have said, it appears there is no consensus on the
> matter of whether sugar syrup is proper or not.

Right. It's the word "proper" that bugs me. It just reads "snooty."

The ultimate goal is the quality of the final product. There are times
when a sugar syrup is best, and times when it's not necessary.

--
Derek

The best leaders inspire by example. When that's not an option, brute
intimidation works pretty well, too.

On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 14:24:50 GMT, Steve Hay
> wrote:

>Sugar syrup is used when mixing certain alcoholic drinks. This method
>promotes even mixing. I daresay it is used when even mixing is desired.

Always lovely, but if you 'boil the sugar in it,' it should be fairly
even anyway.

>
>My wife is from South Carolina and tells me she "brews the sugar in." I
>am not sure what this means, but I believe it has something to do with
>getting even mixing of the sugar. Also, many southerners lament the
>inavailability of "sweet tea" in the North. One surefire way to make
>many southernes I've known order a Coke is to offer them sugar packets
>and unsweetened tea when they wanted "sweet tea".

She means you can add the sugar either before it steeps or while the
water is boiling.


Mydnight

--------------------
thus then i turn me from my countries light, to dwell in the solemn shades of an endless night.

"Derek" > wrote in message

> In my experience, "Brews the sugar in" means that the sugar is added
> to the water before steeping. I've seen people add sugar to cold water
> before putting the kettle on the stove, and I've seen people add sugar
> to boiling water just before adding the tea.

Number 2 is making a "light syrup".

> The ultimate goal is the quality of the final product. There are times
> when a sugar syrup is best, and times when it's not necessary.

I agree, even if I have no idea the taste your sweet tea should have (I
sweeten with honey, after brewing and dispatching into 2 pots -one stays
unsweeten, before adding ice and serving immediatly).
Independently of taste, there's a question of storage. You were discussing
about tea kept outside fridge not being that clean. In case it's sugar, it's
true, but if it's syrup, you can keep it quite a long time that way. Fruits
used to be preserved in syrup, no ?
In the South of Asia, you can see those stands selling sweet tea (often
medicinal mix) without refrigerating them. You can even by a bottle of it
and keep it a couple days at home. The stuff has twice the concentration you
want for your tea and is made with syrup, when you want to drink it you add
crushed ice or water or tapioca. As it's syrup, it doesn't get fermented
while waiting on the stand.

Kuri

On Tue, 25 Jan 2005 12:05:37 +0900, kuri wrote:

> "Derek" > wrote in message
>
>> In my experience, "Brews the sugar in" means that the sugar is added
>> to the water before steeping. I've seen people add sugar to cold water
>> before putting the kettle on the stove, and I've seen people add sugar
>> to boiling water just before adding the tea.
>
> Number 2 is making a "light syrup".

Actually, so is number 1.

>> The ultimate goal is the quality of the final product. There are times
>> when a sugar syrup is best, and times when it's not necessary.
>
> I agree, even if I have no idea the taste your sweet tea should have (I
> sweeten with honey, after brewing and dispatching into 2 pots -one stays
> unsweeten, before adding ice and serving immediatly).

I use honey on occasion with hot tea. I've never tried it with iced
tea, but I will now. I'd just never thought about it.

> Independently of taste, there's a question of storage. You were discussing
> about tea kept outside fridge not being that clean. In case it's sugar, it's
> true, but if it's syrup, you can keep it quite a long time that way. Fruits
> used to be preserved in syrup, no ?

Fruits preserved in syrup are canned. The moment you break the seal on
the jar lid, it's open to spoilage, the same as tea sitting on the
counter.

> In the South of Asia, you can see those stands selling sweet tea (often
> medicinal mix) without refrigerating them. You can even by a bottle of it
> and keep it a couple days at home. The stuff has twice the concentration you
> want for your tea and is made with syrup, when you want to drink it you add
> crushed ice or water or tapioca. As it's syrup, it doesn't get fermented
> while waiting on the stand.

As I already noted, being syrup does not mean something won't go bad.
It's the packaging as much as the contents.

Boiling water tends to sterilize it. Adding sugar to boiling water has
the same effect on the sugar. If you seal it up in a clean bottle,
it'll stay pretty well until someone opens the lid.

This is why grocery items in jars have the pop-top lids - at least in
the U.S. If the center of the lid has popped up, the contents may well
have spoiled. Same with homemade canned goods in mason jars.

--
Derek

If you want to get to the top, prepare to kiss a lot of the bottom.

In article outdrinks.com>, "Steve97" <zhouanzhu@[protected]> wrote:
[snip] >I do know that a lot of Taiwanese and Chinese still view drinking cold
>drinks with suspicion, saying its not good for one's health.
>Traditionally beverages were always hot, probably coming from the very
>practical need to boil water before drinking it for health reasons. If it
[snip]

you're correct that warm or hot drinks or food are preferred by Chinese
but the reason is not because of hygiene issue.


we don't like cold drinks because :

1) it's not healthy for stomach (interfering absorption).

2) it's not healthy for throat, especially, when you have a sore throat
or cold/flu, warm drinks/soup is much much better.

3) it interfers with the taste bud so food does not taste as good.

due to the "cultural conditioning, " i still do not like icy cold drink even
on a host summer day. i like it _cool_ not cold. i also don't like salad in
winter (i prefer something warmer, heartier) in the office, i often mix hot &
cold water from water cooler to get the temperature i want. & in a restaurant,
i either have to ask "water without ice" or just have to fish out all ice
cubes. :-)

bye now,

Pam @ Home

Cort Furniture Rental and Honesty are two exclusive concepts.

On 24 Jan 2005 23:36:11 EST, (Dr.
Gee) wrote:

>In article outdrinks.com>, "Steve97" <zhouanzhu@[protected]> wrote:
>[snip] >I do know that a lot of Taiwanese and Chinese still view drinking cold
>>drinks with suspicion, saying its not good for one's health.
>>Traditionally beverages were always hot, probably coming from the very
>>practical need to boil water before drinking it for health reasons. If it
>[snip]
>
>you're correct that warm or hot drinks or food are preferred by Chinese
>but the reason is not because of hygiene issue.

I know, if you would have snipped the very next line, I said why: but
it's more to do with the Eastern style of medicine based on hot and
cold.

I still don't believe consuming water or other beverages are very bad
for your health. I can see if you have a cold or something, it could
irriatate your throat, but it being bad for much anything else, I
don't believe.

I still laugh sometimes when I remember being told, "Too much cold
water, bad for your health!" when it was like 34 C outside. But, it's
just cultural difference.


Mydnight

--------------------
thus then i turn me from my countries light, to dwell in the solemn shades of an endless night.

oh, sorry, i thought you were replying to my post.


never mind. heh.


Mydnight

--------------------
thus then i turn me from my countries light, to dwell in the solemn shades of an endless night.

In article >, Mydnight > wrote:
[snip] >I still don't believe consuming water or other beverages are very bad
>for your health. I can see if you have a cold or something, it could
[snip] >
>I still laugh sometimes when I remember being told, "Too much cold
>water, bad for your health!" when it was like 34 C outside. [snip]

I don't think it would ruin your health permanantly. it is just uncomfortable
for my throat or stomach to drink or eat something really cold & fingers.

although my acupunturist insists that women in particular should not drink or
eat icy food. as this could cause headache & menstrual cramp & makes the blood
"stagnant."

btw, i was replying to Steve. :-)

regards,

Pam @ Home

Cort Furniture Rental and Honesty are two exclusive concepts.

>
>btw, i was replying to Steve. :-)
>


ya, i know, see my msg below. heh.


Mydnight

--------------------
thus then i turn me from my countries light, to dwell in the solemn shades of an endless night.