Hot Tang: a taste sensation for any American camping trip

After a long and sweaty day of camping, it hard to imagine anything more bracing than a nice, gritty, sour cupful of orange-flavored Tang. But you can make this treat even more memorable if you mix powdered Tang with unbelievably hot water and then consume it immediately without giving it even one moment to cool. Here is an heirloom recipe for Hot Tang, developed by my family when we were camping out in Mammoth Lakes, California. This was the main drink in every one of my campouts from the late 1970s onward. Try it for yourself. Believe me: this is one campground drink you will never be able to forget.

Tang_Drink_Packets

Hot Tang recipe:

— Go to creek. Get water. Don’t worry if there are bugs, small pieces of grit and floaties in the water. Let them stay in there. They will add character and interesting texture to your Hot Tang.

— Put unfiltered creek water in a metal pot.

— Place pot on campfire.

— Use a dirty stick or twig to stir powdered orange Tang into water ***

— Continue to stir until mostly combined.

—  Slop the molten Tang into wobbly Sierra Cups with long looping awkward handles (all but guaranteeing that some of the Tang will slop out of the sides of the cup and land directly in your lap.)

— Consume immediately, in long lusty gulps.

— Scream.

*** recipe works very well with fruit punch or grape-flavored varieties of powdered Tang.

 

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