This is a recipe for cha yen, cha nom yen, or cha yen sai nom, a creamy style of Thai iced tea served in most Thai restaurants in America. While many Thai iced tea blends use a low-quality powder or syrup, this original recipe uses only high-quality black tea and spices, with no artificial additives. Because the color comes from a dye added to Thai tea mixes, your Thai tea will not be vivid orange.
Real Thai iced tea is made with black tea, spices, sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk, much like hot Thai tea. Fans of masala chai and other spiced or milky black teas will love it. The best part is that it’s simple to make and far less expensive than buying.
It’s fine if you don’t have all the spices included in this recipe; you may leave out one or two. However, if you want the full flavor, go to your local Southeast Asian or Indian market and look for the more uncommon components (such as tamarind powder). Although tea bags can be used, loose-leaf tea tastes better since the flavor is deeper and more nuanced.
Thai Iced Tea: What is it?
Thai iced tea must begin with a strong black tea base. Condensed milk is added after brewing to give it a creamy, silky feel. Crushed ice is added to the mix to keep the tea cool and refreshing.
To enhance the flavor of the tea, some individuals add evaporated milk, spices, or even sugar. Thai iced tea is distinguished by its distinctive orange tint.
Tea is a relatively recent item in Thailand, imported as a cash crop from China in the 1980s. When tea became a popular beverage to serve a variety of meals, Thai iced tea was thought to have been established by a Thai leader interested in Western culture. Other flavorings commonly added to the mix today were not included in the original version of Thai iced tea.
Soon after its creation, this sort of tea began to be served with street cuisine before making its way into restaurants and homes. Once it became famous, it became a staple beverage in the neighboring areas and even internationally!
How to Make a Cup of Thai Tea?
Ingredients:
Black Tea Bags: This recipe can use either loose tea or tea bags. I prefer black tea bags because they’re less dirty and take a little less time to prepare.
Sugar: You have complete control over the amount of sugar you use in this recipe. However, using something like stevia won’t need as much as the recipe advises. Coconut palm sugar is one of my preferred sweetening solutions because it is one of the healthier alternatives.
Star anise, a licorice-like spice, is a fundamental component of a powerful flavor that also lends a slight sweetness. It can sometimes be difficult to find in grocery stores, but you can easily order it online.
Whole Cardamom: this spice has a powerful aroma and is described as spicy, lemony, and minty all at once, making it ideal for this tea blend.
Cinnamon Stick: the original form of this spicy and bitter spice is stronger. A single stick of cinnamon added to the tea mixture will give it a special warming flavor.
Vanilla Bean: cut a 1/4-inch piece from a vanilla bean to add to the tea and spice mixture, which adds a strong vanilla flavor and vanilla extract, which smooths out the overall flavor.
Turmeric: This spice has an earthy, bitter taste with a musky peppery flavor, but it mixes seamlessly into this tea recipe and is responsible for the gorgeous orange flavor without needing food coloring or dye.
Sweetened Condensed Milk: Normally, sweetened condensed milk isn’t one of the healthiest ingredients in a recipe, but this organic version is devoid of all the bad stuff. You can also remove the dairy entirely by using canned coconut milk.
You can use only sweetened condensed milk, but I love to combine the two for a smoother, creamier texture.
Directions:
Bring the water to a gentle boil, then whisk in the Thai tea blend until it is completely dissolved. Stir in the sugar until it dissolves, then cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from the fire and set aside to cool completely for about 20 minutes. This will help to concentrate the tea flavor. To eliminate any sediment, strain the mixture through a sieve. Fill two glasses halfway with ice and 3/4 full with the tea mixture. Serve with a dollop of sweetened condensed milk on top.
Dairy-Free
Up until adding the milk, follow the directions for creating the Thai tea mix. Use canned coconut milk instead of sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. Before opening the can, please give it a good shake or puree it in a blender to combine the coconut cream and coconut milk for a smooth pour.
Thai Bubble Tea is a Refreshing Beverage.
One of my favorite ways to drink Thai iced tea is with boba, or tapioca pearls, on the bottom, known as bubble tea. To create this, follow the package directions for preparing the boba and placing it in the bottom of your glass before adding the ice. Bubble tea straws, which allow you to get the boba on the bottom, are also required to enjoy the beverage in this manner properly. It’s quite tasty.
Manao Cha
This variation of Thai iced tea uses lime juice and jasmine essence instead of sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk, making it a pleasant yet healthier version of the beverage.
What are the Notes and Tips for Making a Thai Tea Recipe?
Add a lot of sugar, but taste it to see how sweet it is. Like southern sweet tea, the best Thai iced tea is quite sweet. While sugar isn’t the healthiest element, it’s necessary to get that sweet milk flavor. However, you can alter the sugar to make it as sweet as you like.
Using this teapot saves time and eliminates steps. I use this teapot when I make tea with loose tea, and it eliminates the need for a filter.
You won’t get the brilliant orange color from this healthy Thai tea recipe because it’s made without a Thai tea blend. Food coloring is included in the mix, which you can replace with dye-free food coloring. In the version you see in the images, I didn’t apply any dye.
Use turmeric instead of food coloring to achieve the burned orange color. By sprinkling the powder into your brew, the tea will naturally turn a burned orange color without posing any health risks. Although turmeric has a powerful flavor, it isn’t overpowering in this Thai tea blend.
What are the Health Benefits of Drinking Thai Tea?
Thai tea can be consumed as a traditional treatment or as a daily diet. It can provide an energy boost similar to a cup of coffee due to its caffeine level. It also has a lot of antioxidants in it. Antioxidants protect your cells from damage that can lead to major illnesses like cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and macular degeneration (impared vision with age).
Regularly drinking Thai Tea or other black tea has several possible health benefits:
Weight Gain is Reduced
Drinking black tea regularly can help you lose weight. The polyphenols in black tea have been proven to help absorb lipids (fat) and complex carbohydrates, which help prevent obesity. Thai tea also aids in the suppression of digestion. According to reports, the benefits of black tea are much more evident than green tea.
Reduces Cholesterol
A couple of glasses of black tea daily can help decrease cholesterol levels. High cholesterol levels can cause various heart problems, including heart attacks. Drinking at least three cups of black tea daily boosts antioxidant levels, which benefits heart health.
Reduces the Risk of a Stroke
According to a meta-analysis of multiple research, drinking black tea regularly can dramatically lower a person’s risk of stroke. Strokes are caused by blood clots in the brain and can result in devastating symptoms like paralysis, weakness, and balance and coordination issues.
Reduces the risk of heart disease
Some studies have suggested that black tea can help reverse some of the vascular dysfunction associated with heart disease. It can also help with blood oxidation, a key sign of heart health and other chronic illnesses.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Thai tea, like many other herbal teas, is high in antioxidants, which can aid in the maintenance of a healthy immune system. According to studies, Thai tea offers similar quantities of antioxidants to green tea and other herbal teas popularised for their anti-inflammatory properties.
What are the Five Things that One Must Know About Thai Tea?
This is NOT How Tea with Milk is Served in the United Kingdom.
Tea is famous in the United Kingdom for being served black, strong, and with milk and sugar (a lump or two). Thai Milk Tea is made with strong black tea, milk, and sugar, but that’s where the similarities end.
The Ice is Involved in the Recipe
You will never see ice in a British tea with milk. There’s no way and no way. Nonetheless, it is necessary for Thai Milk Tea, at least as we make it in the West. This tea is supposed to be a summertime chiller, but how can you chill without ice? (Okay, there’s the refrigerator, but you get the idea.)
Ingredients that are Commonly Used.
While the recipe is straightforward, each component plays an important role. Of course, start with black tea, preferably from Thailand, but a nice Assam is also a good choice, and loose-leaf if feasible. Use approximately 3 ounces. It’s ideal to use fresh water (approximately 6 cups) that has been brought to a roaring boil. Milk is necessary (obviously!) and comes in a variety of forms, including condensed, full, half-and-half, and (for the true connoisseurs) “coconut milk” (actually, nothing chemically similar to milk, so if you’re lactose intolerant, this should be a decent alternative). Thai spices are common, with star anise, ground tamarind, and cardamom being the most popular.
Preparation Typical
In a saucepan of boiling water, steep the tea leaves and spices for at least 5 minutes (you could go to 7 or 8 minutes to get it extra strong and add a bit of extra sugar to cover any bitterness). Because you’ll be diluting the tea with milk and ice, strong tea is required. Remove the tea leaves and spices with a strainer. Stir the sugar into the boiling tea until it dissolves completely. If using, add the condensed milk and whisk to combine. Allow the liquid to cool down to room temperature. Fill tall cups halfway with ice, then 3/4 filled with tea, cold milk, or coconut “milk.”
Please don’t Stir!
The layer of milk at the top of the glass is a significant characteristic of Thai Milk Tea, so don’t stir it! You’ll be tempted, but that would ruin the experience entirely. Take a straw and enjoy!
How did Thai Iced Tea Gain Popularity?
It didn’t take long for Thai food to gain popularity in North America, so Thai iced tea became a popular drink. Thai iced tea’s sweet, smooth, and creamy taste was ideal for washing down the rich, delicious flavors of well-received Thai cuisine.
In the Western world, Thai restaurants began to include tea on their menus, often adding flavorings and orange food coloring to make the tea more palatable to Americans. Thai iced tea has become a popular beverage among foodies in the United States!
Conclusion
Thai Tea (also known as Thai Iced Tea) is a popular iced tea from Thailand that is widely available in Thai restaurants around the United States. The beverage’s deep amber hue and milk-tinted upper layer make it stand out on your table, and the mix of powerfully brewed tea, cream, and sugar makes it a fantastic accompaniment to hot weather and spicy meals.
Thai tea is produced using black tea that has been steeped for a long time and is often seasoned with star anise, crushed tamarind, cardamom, and other spices (often making this beverage a favorite among masala chai tea fans). After that, the coffee is sweetened with sugar and condensed milk before being served over ice. Glasses of Thai Tea are commonly topped with another dairy, such as evaporated milk, whole milk, half and half, or coconut milk, for flavor, consistency, and visual appeal.
