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What makes Southern tea so sweet? True, Southern sweet tea is very different than the sweet tea you might find elsewhere. The difference is based in the science of chemistry.
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This Week's Experiment - #220 Sweet Tea
These experiments are from Robert Krampf - The Happy Scientist
This week's experiment idea came to me while I was waiting for our lunch.
The proper drink to go with your Memphis Bar-BQ is sweet tea. Now, you may
not think that is unusual, but true, Southern sweet tea is a very different
drink. The difference is based in the science of chemistry. To experience
this, you will need:
2 pans
water
tea bags
sugar
WARNING: For this experiment, you will have to boil water. Be sure to get
permission and be safe.
Put two cups of water into each pan. Heat the water until it boils. Add a
couple of tea bags to each pan. To one pan, add 2 tablespoons of sugar.
After boiling for a few seconds, turn off the heat and let them cool. Once
they are both cooled, add two tablespoons of sugar to the unsweetened tea.
Be sure to mark the pans, so you can tell which is which. Once the sugar is
dissolved, taste each one. You will find that the tea that was sweetened
while it was hot is sweeter. Why?
Your first thought might be that more of the sugar dissolves in hot water
than in cold. That is why we only used 2 tablespoons of sugar. We want all
of it to dissolve, even in the cold tea. With the same amount of sugar in
each, they should both taste the same, right? Then, why is one sweeter?
The tea that was sweetened when it was hot now has a different kind of sugar
in it. Yes, there are different kinds of sugar. The sugar that we normally
use is called sucrose. Sucrose is a sugar that plants make and use to store
energy. When you add the sucrose to the hot tea, a process called inversion
takes place. The sucrose breaks down into two other sugars, glucose and
fructose. This combination, called invert sugar, is about 10% sweeter than
the sucrose it was made from. This process of inversion is very useful.
Bakers use invert sugar to make confections sweeter. Bees use enzymes to do
the same thing when they are making honey.
Now, true Southern sweet tea is SWEET! In addition to inverting the sugar,
the hot tea allows you to dissolve more sugar in the tea. This combination
is one that may be too sweet if you are not used to it. If you want to try
the real thing, use about a cup of sugar for a quart of tea. Chill it until
it is very cold and serve it over ice. Then all you need is some Memphis
bar-BQ, some cole slaw, baked beans and some banana pudding and you are all
set for a feast.
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