Sweet Tea and Southern Eating

FUtLefotr

Thanks to McDonald’s people in the rest on the country are discovering Sweet Tea.   Yes, there has always been tea in California, Snapple, Lipton, and a host of other Tea’s.     In the South, Sweet Tea is a staple, in most of the country its  Coke or Pepsi , but sweet tea?  No.

In Atlanta, someone asked me if I wanted sugar with my sweet tea, just in case I wanted sweeter sweet tea.    No one has asked me if  I wanted Splenda or Sweet n Low cause in the south, sweet tea is made with sugar.

Plain is the operative term, here in the south.

Multi syllabic words and needless adjectives take too much time. What chu want?

The food is plain and simple.

The meat, Chicken, Beef and Pork with the alternatives being fried fish,shrimp and prawns.

My beloved Greens are everywhere,  as is Barbecue Chicken. Fried Chicken in the south is a verb.   Cheese is American, the bread is white.

I had the best burgers in the Greyhound Bus Stations in Atlanta and Mobile, the patties and the construction of the burgers were basic and I couldn’t figure out why these were sooo good.  At the Greyhound in Mobile, I watched a  pretty woman with a gold tooth and nice smile slather the buns in butter.     OH mama, that made the burger.  The buns were crunchy, the mayo and other ingredients didn’t soften the bun . Butta who knew?

Butta is always good baby. (gold tooth catching the light)

Everything has fat,and sodium and it is wonderful.

In the south, you can simply eat your food.   No one is likely to say, oooh to many carbs, or too much fat.   Their aren’t any food terrorist giving you the eye or suggesting you pick a lower calorie dish.    Southerners have more fun at the dinner table, they laugh more,using knives and forks is optional,its guilt free, no one at a southern table is likely to say they’ll  have to run off that extra helping.

At 6.4 and well over 300 pounds, I’m Godzilla in California,one burp away from destroying a small village.   In Mississippi, there were high schoolers my size, men and women near or over  300 pounds aren’t uncommon; this was true in Alabama and Louisiana.   In Georgia I was positively giddy at the  Ross Unlimited (not affiliated with the Ross national chain)  Big and Tall Store in Atlanta, not only did every thing fit, but they had skinny things on sale, (yes, I was the skinny size)  and should I gain 250 pounds over the weekend I know they have a size 78 long suit that will fit me just fine, thank you.

According to the CDC ,over 30% of the southern population is obese.

I like the south and its people, the pace is slower, the people here are kind and direct.   I understand why many from the mid west and the east coast return.  In hilly and lush Birmingham, the price for a new home begin under 100k.  Urban living in an Atlanta’s high rises begin at 160k.    In Sacramento, the price for a studio loft begin just under 200k , the same price as a garage in San Francisco.

There IS  fine dining in the large cities of the south. I enjoyed Bellini’s in Birmingham and Lefot in New Orleans.

Overall eating seems more relaxed than California….so the question is, its it the food or balance?

If your visiting the south relax, there aren’t many caloric guides to remind you of your intake or add to your guilt.  Feel free to eat with your hands and lick your fingers. So undo your belt….and smile good mmm mmm mmm eaten fun awaits you.

Cityfella