It’s not uncommon to find Southerners adding a pinch of baking soda to their glass of iced tea. This peculiar practice can seem quite strange to non-Southerners. However, there are some practical reasons behind this quirky Southern tradition.
In the South, iced tea is incredibly popular and is consumed year-round. Sweet tea, as it’s often called, is brewed strong, loaded up with sugar, and served over ice. The baking soda is added to help neutralize the acidity of the tea.
Why Add Baking Soda to Tea?
There are a few main reasons Southerners add just a pinch of baking soda to their tea:
1. Reduces Acidity and Bitterness
The tannins in tea leaves produce a bitter, acidic taste when steeped in hot water. This acidity is amplified when the tea is heavily sweetened, as Southern sweet tea typically is. The baking soda helps neutralize some of the acid, reducing bitterness and astringency. This results in a smoother, less acidic taste.
2. Enhances Sweetness
Baking soda doesn’t actually sweeten the tea on its own. However, by diminishing acidity and bitterness, it allows the sweetness of the sugar to come through more prominently. The baking soda makes the sugary taste pop more.
3. Keeps Ice From Melting as Quickly
This is more of an old wives’ tale, but some Southerners insist that adding baking soda keeps the ice cubes from melting too quickly in sugary iced tea. The idea is that the baking soda slightly raises the pH of the tea, making it less acidic, and thus less prone to melting ice rapidly.
4. Prevents Tea Stains on Teeth
The tannins in tea can stain teeth over time, giving them a yellowish tinge. Baking soda is thought to help neutralize and wash away some of these staining tannins when drinking highly acidic Southern sweet tea. It may help minimize discoloration of teeth.
The History Behind the Quirky Practice
Adding baking soda to tea appears to be a uniquely Southern tradition in the U.S. So how did it originate?
Necessity of Cooling Hot Southern Summers
Iced tea helped quench thirst and cool down in the hot Southern climate before air conditioning was widely available. Southerners turned to making large pitchers of sweet iced tea, keeping a batch brewed and chilled all day long.
The desire for icy cold tea led to adding lots of sugar and ice. The high acidity and rapid ice melting from the sugar caused Southerners to start adding baking soda to optimize the tea’s taste and temperature.
Lack of Refrigeration Before Modern Appliances
Before refrigerators, Southerners had to get creative to keep their tea cold, especially in the summer. Some would add baking soda to help slow down the melting of ice if they didn’t have an ice house.
Making Do With On-Hand Ingredients
Baking soda was a conveniently on-hand staple in most Southern kitchens. Sometimes lemon would be added for extra flavor and acidity. If they wanted to balance it out, baking soda could neutralize some of the acid without an extra trip to the store.
Does Science Support Baking Soda in Tea?
While the baking soda may make the taste of the tea more desirable, the science behind some of its supposed benefits is shaky:
Slowing Ice Melt
Studies show baking soda has a minimal effect on the melting rate of ice in water or tea. Any change in pH is temporary and negligible. So the baking soda likely doesn’t keep the tea cooler for longer.
Preventing Tea Stains
The effect of baking soda on tea stains has not been scientifically studied. Anecdotally, some dentists say they haven’t observed less staining in their Southern patients who drink tea with baking soda.
Enhancing Sweetness
Baking soda does chemically reduce acidity, which can indirectly enhance perceptible sweetness. However, the taste impact is likely minimal and short-lived.
So while the baking soda may provide a marginal flavor benefit, some of its other purported advantages are unlikely or exaggerated. The quantity added is small enough that any effects are temporary.
How Much Baking Soda Should be Added?
Most Southerners add just a small pinch of baking soda to a whole pitcher of sweet tea. A good guideline is:
– 1/8 teaspoon baking soda per 2 cups of tea
This gives just enough to balance some acidity without making the tea taste salty or soapy. It takes very little baking soda to impact the pH. Too much can make the tea taste flat, dull, and salty.
What About Lemon Tea?
Lemon is a popular addition to Southern sweet tea. The extra acidity from the lemon juice makes the baking soda even more necessary.
For tea with lemon, try:
– 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per 2 cups of lemony tea
The extra bit of baking soda helps counteract the amplified acidity from the lemon. This prevents the tea from tasting too tart and puckery.
Should You Add Baking Soda to Tea?
This peculiar Southern tradition isn’t for everyone. Here are some pros and cons to consider:
Pros:
- Reduces bitterness and acidity
- Improves sweetness perception
- Minimizes tooth staining potentially
- Enhances overall flavor subtly
Cons:
- Can make tea taste flat if too much is added
- Impacts are temporary and negligible
- Not scientifically proven to help with ice melt or stains
For traditional Southern sweet tea, a pinch of baking soda can be worth adding for a smoother, more balanced flavor. But it’s no miracle cure – just a subtle taste tweak.
Those who don’t have a taste for Southern sweet tea are unlikely to take to the baking soda tradition. Unsweet tea drinkers certainly don’t need to bother with it.
But for Southerners sipping a glass of ultra-sweet tea on a porch swing, that little pinch of baking soda can elevate the beloved brew to the perfect level of sweetened deliciousness.
The Bottom Line
While the science behind some of the claims is questionable, a bit of baking soda does reduce acidity in sweet tea subtly. For those who want to smooth out the tang of sugary Southern tea, a small amount of baking soda can help balance the flavor.
This quirky Southern habit continues because it was passed down through generations. The minimal amount of baking soda enhances the sweet tea experience just enough to make it a persisting regional tradition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does baking soda really keep the ice from melting faster?
No, scientifically speaking, the small amount of baking soda added to tea does not noticeably affect the melt rate of ice in the tea.
Is baking soda good for your teeth when drinking tea?
There’s no clear evidence showing that the baking soda prevents tea from staining teeth. It may help marginally, but proper dental hygiene is much more important.
Does baking soda actually make the tea sweeter?
It doesn’t contain any sweetness itself, but it can minimize bitterness and acidity, allowing the sweetness of the sugar to come through more prominently.
Is baking soda safe to consume in tea?
Yes, in very small quantities. Large amounts could be hazardous, but the pinch added to tea is harmless.
Does baking soda work the same in unsweetened iced tea?
Baking soda can reduce acidity in any tea, but is unnecessary in unsweetened tea. Its benefits are most applicable to super sweet Southern-style tea.