Readily agree with you, jgleduc, that you would have as hard a time finding iced coffee in the south as I’ve had in finding iced tea in the north. And, as you said, if you found it, it would probably be hot coffee poured over ice cubes (which New England friends tell me "ain’t iced coffee"). Only places I’ve ever known iced coffee to be served in this area are at some ladies’ luncheons, showers, social gatherings, etc. I did not become acquainted with coffee milk during my Navy and subsequently some business days in Rhode Island. Surely love all of your seafoods. Liketoeat

Regarding the question of iced tea: I can sympathize with southerners (and others) who have had problems getting a decent drink of it up north. I find the same problem in too many places outside NE when I order an iced coffee. In far too many instances, this is greeted with a blank stare and results in hot coffee poured over ice. Blah!

"Soda" certainly is the norm in these parts, though I’ve known people – generally of an older generation – who say "tonic".

One of my favorite bits of local food trivia concerns newcomers or visitors coming to grips with the idea of coffee milk. Not that it’s hard, really. Everyone from RI has been drinking it since they could walk – they get it in the schools – but it’s a novelty to almost all others.

JL

quote:

Originally posted by kland01s

I never knew ice tea came any other way than unsweetened until I went to a nieces wedding in Birmingham Al. I thought I would try out some place for ‘que (this was my 1st trip South)Well, as soon as I opened my mouth, the waitress knew I was a "foreigner" and asked why I was there. I told her for a wedding and she responded "y’all ken to?". Not sure what she said, I said yes. Then I got the tea…yikes! I am not a pop drinker for that very reason. I drink water only most places I go any more.

LOL!!! I don’t know how I missed this story before, but my wife and I can’t stop laughing!!!!

I had just the opposite experience with being "reborn" with sweet tea. When I was a child, that’s the way we always had it. I believe it was in junior high (or "middle school" as it’s called down here) when I decided to stop drinking tea with sugar. I literally went for about 20 years and never sweetened my tea.

On a trip to Winston-Salem years ago, I ordered "ice tea" (we don’t pronounce the "d") and was given sweet tea. One sip, and I was taken into heaven. I had forgot how wonderful real sweet tea tastes.

Although I drink it unsweetened in restaurants (adding sugar after it’s made doesn’t make it "sweet tea"), at home I always make it sweet. [:p]

Other than becoming intensely jealous of Matchstick Man, I found this subject to be of great interest and one, which as a previous poster stated, brought back many memories. Will never forget the first Saturday four of us (3 from the South & 1 from the Midwest) got liberty from Navy OCS and went into downtown Newport, RI, hitting first thing a (believe it was Rexall) Drug Store & ordering milk shakes at its soda fountain. Were we all shocked, disappointed when that is exactly what we got: flavored milk "shook up". When we asked where the ice cream was the waitress told us if we wanted a "frappe", we should have ordered one. I also recall a bit later when stationed in Boston the difficulty of finding iced tea of any sort (and being asked once, when it was available, if I wanted lemon or milk with it). Apparently throughout most of the South iced tea means sweetened iced tea, but somehow in this one area in which I grew up it always meant unsweetened. I was as suprised as anyone from other areas of the country when discovering iced tea in other sections of the South was automatically pre-sweetened. I do recall hearing the term "tonic" used for a soft drink in RI or MA. (I thought "tonic" was what went with gin or vodka). When growing up in this section of the South, the term "Coke" was used generically to refer to any cola, and the term "soda water" was used for any soft drink; cola, fruit flavored, 7Up type, whatever. It is odd/interesting how food (and I guess many other) terms vary in their meanings from section to section of this country.

My late former father-in-law always called doughnuts crullers…or Bismarcks…he was from Duluth, MN. The only crullers I have ever been familiar with are the ones from Dunkin with the wavy lines in them. And I can’t eat anything from that chain anymore (my poor stomach). Bismarcks…are they just filled doughnuts? Jelly?

I never knew ice tea came any other way than unsweetened until I went to a nieces wedding in Birmingham Al. I thought I would try out some place for ‘que (this was my 1st trip South)Well, as soon as I opened my mouth, the waitress knew I was a "foreigner" and asked why I was there. I told her for a wedding and she responded "y’all ken to?". Not sure what she said, I said yes. Then I got the tea…yikes! I am not a pop drinker for that very reason. I drink water only most places I go any more.

How about the little ones called spaetzle you get with goulash or schnitzel in Hungarian or German stops. Kids can eat their own weight in them.

Then there’s the discussion over the difference between noodles and dumplings.. I’ve seen things called dumplings that I would call a noodle…i.e. flat.. to me, a dumpling is like a steamed biscuit that you add to simmering stews or soups.

To me "tonic" is quinine water. I had a friend from the bootheel of Missouri who called any soft drink a "sody."

quote:

Originally posted by Al-The Mayor-Bowen

As we wander around the country, we have noticed that some items are ‘called’ by different names in certain parts of the country. Some examples-
1. Soft Drinks (carbonated)- POP- SODA- SodaPop- Coke- Tonic etc

My grandmother, a Tennesseean, made "chicken and dumplings," cooking the square dumplings–or very thick noodles–in the pot, where they helped thicken the broth. I don’t remember what veggies she added–I suspect carrots, celery, and maybe onion. (I wonder how that would be with a touch of saffron. Hmm.) You can get almost the same dish, at least in the south, in grocery stores. It’s put up by Sweet Sue, and is really quite good.

quote:

Originally posted by RubyRose

Some visitors to diners here in east central PA have been very suprised when they get their order of chicken pot pie. It’s 2 inch square noodles, potatoes, and chicken chunks served in a thick broth.

One of the joys of my pre-fat life was french fries with Hellman’s. No ‘salad dressing’ (whatever that is, and only Hellman’s mayo.

quote:

Originally posted by practans

If you visit Montreal, check out the fast food that they call "poutine". It’s french fries covered with brown sauce and cheese curd. I’ve tried it and can’t see the fuss, but it’s very popular there. They even have it on the menu at McDonald’s.

quote:

Originally posted by Al-The Mayor-Bowen

[xx(][xx(] A Hex on you Matchstick Man…. If I walk by a pie the calories leap on me like fleas from an old hound dog!!![:(]

Sometime how you pronounce a word will distort it’s meaning… A few weeks back when visiting Middle Tennessee My wife asked if the place serve Unsweetened tea. The waitress said " Oh, You mean NASTY" Janet followed up with another request and the girl insisted that what they served was NASTY. Only when she brought out the bottle of "Nes-Tea" did the debate get settled. I told my wife if she had just said Sweet Tea there wouldn’t have been a discussion at all. You can take them to the city, but they don’t always listen !!![}:)]

Mr. Mayor, us folks down here do not always speak English.

In addition, we are trying to get over the flood. My dock is under water. I am trying to remove all mud with a pressure sprayer. The Tennessee River is way out of its banks. No time for roadfood.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

quote:

Originally posted by Matchstick Man

I love unsweetened ice tea, so I had a bit of culture shock when I hit the southeast and found they sweeten their tea to the point that it is sweeter than a soda pop. The funniest thing that happened to me, though, was at one restaraunt (I don’t remember where .. I think I might have been near Myrtle Beach) I told the waitress that I wanted unsweetened tea.
Her: you want some Sweet’n’Low with that?
Me: No
Her: you want some of those little packets of sugar?
Me: No
Silence
Her: You mean you’re gonna drink it plain!?!?!??!
me: Yes, ma’am
Her: EEWWWWWW!!!!!!

In many of the places we frequent when we travel south, the proprietors consider it a necessary evil bow to Yankees to even ASK "sweet or unsweet?" before they pour the tea.

Another fun order with a waitress. One time about 20 years ago, about 3am, I stopped at a small place in the middle of nowhere New Mexico. At the time, I was in the Navy, stationed in California and before that I was in Hawaii, so I had gone quite a few years without seeing grits on the menu. This place had grits offered as a side item. I ordered one of the regular breakfasts with a side of grits.
Her: you want that instead of the toast?
Me: no, I want them both
Her: then you want them instead of the home fries?
Me: no, I want the entire breakfast with the grits on the side.
She didn’t say anything else, but was in total disbelief that I wanted all of that or that I would eat it.

OBTW, I’m now 50, 6′ tall and weigh 170. Back then I weighed about 145. I’m one of those idiots who can eat and eat and eat and eat and never gain any weight (well, hardly any).[8D]