Thai tea
Strongly brewed spiced black tea sweetened with sugar and finished with a swirl of evaporated or condensed milk over ice, giving it its signature orange color.
Cha yen: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Where it comes from
Thai tea is a popular street-side drink in Thailand, served over crushed ice in plastic cups. The orange color comes from the tea blend, which often includes spices like star anise.
Explore the cuisine of Thailand.
Recipe
Make Thai tea at home
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Thai tea mix (or strong black tea with star anise)
- 4 cups boiling water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- Ice
How it's made
- Steep the tea mix in boiling water for 5 minutes.
- Strain through a fine cloth or filter into a pitcher.
- Stir in the sugar while hot until dissolved, then cool.
- Fill glasses with ice.
- Pour tea over the ice until 3/4 full.
- Add a drizzle of condensed milk and top with evaporated milk, and stir before drinking.
Variations
- Cha yen manao: with lime juice, no milk
- Hot Thai tea
- Thai green tea
Cook’s tip: Steep strongly; the ice will dilute it.
Related dishes
Vietnamese iced coffeeDrinks · Vietnam
Teh tarikDrinks · Malaysia
Masala chaiDrinks · India
Bubble teaDrinks · Taiwan
About this page
Description and method written by Intercontinental Chef. Home-style method; quantities are a starting point, so adjust to taste.
Photo credit
- Cha yen: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)