How Do You Make Thai Tea

What Flavour Is Thai Milk Tea

The flavour in Thai Bubble Tea comes from the Thai Tea Mix used to make it. The most famous Thai tea as Cha Tra Mue Thai Tea, also known as Number One Thai Tea Mix. This Thai Tea has a very distinct orange colour and a fragrant smell.

Thai Milk Tea tastes like black tea with spiced hints of star anise, cardamom, and tamarind. Its essentially a celebration of beautiful Thai flavours in a cup! The tea base is then topped with condensed milk and evaporated milk, which give the milk tea a very creamy, milky flavour.

Lastly, the flavour palette also changes a little by adding tapioca pearls cooked in brown sugar syrup. This adds hints of deep, rich caramel, making this Thai Milk Tea one of the best tasting Bubble Teas out there!

Thai Milk Tea is the perfect accompaniment to spicy Thai foods. The milky sweet drink does wonders to calm down your burning tastebuds after having too much spicy food.

Thai Tea Leaves Vs Powder Mix

Powder mixes have some drawbacks, but they also have many clear advantages. For one, they are incredibly convenient and require only water to make. They also can be improved with spices and boba tea if you are strapped for time or cash but still want a quick fix for Thai tea. Our recommended blend is the Qbubble Tea Powder Mix.

On the other hand, these Thai tea mixes have several apparent drawbacks which one should be aware of before making a purchase.

First, you cannot customise powder mixes according to your tastes. For example, if you like your tea stronger or with fewer spices, you cannot make these changes to a powder mix .

Second, these mixes contain many preservatives and ingredients, which could be a potential allergen or health hazard for some. Dairy and orange food dye are a few examples.

Finally, the taste of these Thai tea powders is vastly inferior to that of a freshly prepared beverage – it lacks the textural brightness and unprocessed flavours which come from using your ingredients.

And finally, buying your ingredients and making this drink is more financially responsible in the long run since it costs less than purchasing ready-use packets multiple times. Thus, these mixes can be better in some situations, but making it fresh is often the best. Make your choice wisely!

What Is Bubble Tea

Bubble tea is an iced milk tea with tapioca balls created in Taiwan in the 1980s. Bubble tea is also called milk tea, boba tea, or just simply boba.

Its usually made with tea, milk, sugar, and tapioca balls. While any kind of tea can be used to make bubble tea, black tea is the most popular.

The drink is served with a wide straw thats big enough for the tapioca balls to fit through. The tapioca balls are meant to be chewed, not swallowed whole.

Also Check: What Is The Best Ginger Tea

Cool And Creamy Thai Iced Tea To Make At Home

The first time I had Thai iced tea, I was in a Thai restaurant , and I needed something to cool the fire that was burning in my mouth after just a few bites of my spicy chili-laden lunch.

Thai iced tea to the rescue! It was delicious and refreshing and the sweet creaminess of it was just what I needed to cool off my burning tongue.

Now that Ive figured out how to make it, I dont have to actually burn my mouth on spicy Thai food to be able to enjoy a sweet, creamy glass of this iced tea.

Learning how to make Thai iced tea at home is easy once you know a few key secrets.

This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is sort of boring, but you can find it here.

Substitute For Thai Tea Without Food Colouring

Cha Tra Mue Thai Tea can be found in most Asian supermarkets or online. Almost all Thai Teas contain food colouring, which some people might be allergic to.

Heres how you can make your own Thai Tea blend without food colouring:

• Black Tea I recommend using loose leaf tea for a more intense flavour. The best varieties to use are Ceylon Tea or Assam Tea. You can also use decaffeinated black tea.
• Star anise with an intense liquorice flavour, this spice is essential in recreating the flavour of authentic Thai Tea. You can use either whole or powder star anise.
• Cardamom adds a slightly spicy hint, with notes of citrus. You can use whole cardamom seeds or ground cardamom.
• Tamarind bring a sweet and sour tanginess to the tea. I recommend using powdered tamarind for ease, but you can also use fresh sweet tamarind or tamarind paste.
• Optional: vanilla a hint of vanilla can really bring out the flavours. You can try adding ½ teaspoon of vanilla bean paste.
• Orange food colouring for a natural alternative, you can try either ground turmeric or beetroot powder. However, this will slightly change the flavour of the tea.

Read Also: Does Green Tea Help Migraines

Can Thai Tea Make You Gain Weight

Thai Tea Side Effects

To begin with, Thai iced tea is high in sugar content. The Better Health Channel of the Victoria State Government, Australia, explains that sugar should be consumed in moderation. Eating too much sugar can lead to weight gain.

Secondly, Is Thai tea good for losing weight? Weight Loss

The combination of caffeine and antioxidants in Thai tea helps boost your metabolism, so your body will burn calories more quickly. Drinking this and engaging in moderate exercise will lead to weight loss and an overall healthier you!

What happens if you drink too much Thai tea? Though moderate intake is healthy for most people, drinking too much could lead to negative side effects, such as anxiety, headaches, digestive issues, and disrupted sleep patterns. Most people can drink 34 cups of tea daily without adverse effects, but some may experience side effects at lower doses.

Furthermore, How can I reduce my stomach fat? 19 Effective Tips to Lose Belly Fat

Why is Thai tea so orange?

Why is This Tea Orange? The bright, unique color of Thai Iced Tea comes from food coloring added to black tea in Thai Tea Mix. On its own, the brewed tea is a deep red. Stir in sweetened condensed milk , and the tea turns orange.

We’ll Teach You How To Make Iced Tea Three Different Ways: The Traditional Hot Brew Method Cold Brew And Harnessing The Power Of The Sun For Sun Tea

If youre not already making this summer staple at home, youll thank yourself for learning how to make iced tea. Its surprisingly easy to whip up a Southern-style sweet tea or a refreshing citrus-infused green tea thats less expensive and tastes fresher than store-bought bottled tea. Plus, making tea at home allows you to harness all the health benefits of tea while controlling any added ingredients.

The only thing youll have to do is decide what method to use!

Don’t Miss: What Is The Teas Test For Dental Hygiene

Thai Milk Tea Vs Milk Tea

Milk Tea is a term that describes all teas that contain milk. Thai Milk Tea is a type of Milk Tea just like Oolong Milk Tea, Hokkaido Milk Tea or Tiger Milk Tea.

Its probably important to note that not all Milk Teas are Bubble Teas. Bubble Teas also contain tapioca pearls, acting as the bubbles. This recipe for Thai Milk Tea is both a Milk Tea and a Bubble Tea.

What Is Boba Made Of

Boba is simply black tapioca pearls that are at the bottom of the tea drink. The balls are formed from tapioca sweetened with black sugar and then boiled. For many, the flavorless aspect of the boba is the perfect compliment to the milk tea or Thai tea. For others, adding flavors to the boba adds to the flavor profile of the drink and helps create a unique contrast that is very good.

You May Like: How To Make Long Island Tea

What Makes Thai Tea Different

Thai tea can be very similar to other teas if you are comparing pure tea leaves. Many peoples idea of Thai tea is the tea which is served when you ask for Thai Iced Tea. This orange colored tea is not just tea but contains a coloring as well as spices which completely change the flavor. Added to this it is made with a lot of evaporated and condensed milk and a lot of sweetning, rather than a small amount of added cows milk as British style hot tea is served.

Other articles you might find interesting:

Video: Authentic Thai Tea Recipe:

The creamy goodness in this drink comes from half and half. If you want, you can use other creamers such as coconut milk, whole milk or sweetened condensed milk. What ever you use, make sure to consider the sweetness of those creamers because theyll change the sugar level of the overall thai iced tea once added to the brewed tea mix.

Also Check: How To Make Your Own Loose Leaf Tea

How Much Sugar Is In A Boba Drink

Results indicate a 16 ounce single serving of a boba drink with milk tea and tapioca boba balls containing 299 calories and 38 grams of sugar.

Is Thai tea just black tea? Thai tea is a vibrate, delicious beverage that originates from Thailand. Traditionally served over ice, Thai tea is made using black tea and milk. However, youre getting so much more than that with every sip. About 84% of all tea consumed is black tea.

Whats the difference between Thai tea and chai tea?

The proper term is masala chai, which actually does mean spiced tea. Thai tea is a type of spiced tea whose ancestor originated in Thailand in the late 20th century. Its current form, though, originated in American Thai restaurants.

Does tea cleanse your body? The body has a natural detoxification system that eliminates toxins and harmful compounds. Hence, detoxing tea is ineffective and unnecessary for weight loss and detoxification. There hasnt been any evidence regarding detox teas that these would flush toxins out of the body.

Thai Iced Tea In Thailand Vs Western Cultures

Interestingly, the orange color and spices were added when Thai tea became more and more popular in Westernized cultures in order to set it apart from regular, plain black tea. In fact, during the early years of westernized Thai iced tea, chefs would add orange food coloring to really give it a bright orange hue.

Nowadays, youll find both versions in Thailand- the traditional and the westernized version.

The following recipe is a less traditional version of the original.

You May Like: When Is The Teas Test Offered

Three Ways: Thai Iced Tea

Thai iced tea is ubiquitous in the U.S., but tea only made its way to Thailand in the latter part of the 20th century, arriving from China as a cash crop, intended as a replacement to the opium industry. While details surrounding Thai iced teas emergence are a bit fuzzy, upon the street food stalwarts arrival in North America, the blend of potent black tea, condensed milk, and ice received a flashy makeover in the form of electric orange dye, boosted sugar levels, and a potent hit of spice. Often flavored with tamarind, anise, and cardamom, the playful drinks been adopted by bartenders as an aromatic and tannic ingredient for cocktails.

Does Thai Tea Stain Your Teeth

Tea. Just like coffee, tea also contains those staining saboteurs known as tannins, so sipping on a cup of chai may lead to stains, Cram says. But theres more to it than that like the particular hue that tea may turn your teeth. And if you just cant bid the brew adieu, use Maddahis to-go coffee lid trick.

What is Thai tea called in Thailand?

Thai tea or cha-yen in Thailand, is a drink made from strongly-brewed black tea.

How many carbs are in a boba drink? Is it nutritious?

What is the healthiest bubble tea? Zero-calorie bubble tea does exist, but the healthiest bubble tea is a matcha bubble tea.

You May Like: What Are The Health Benefits Of Moringa Tea

Whats In Thai Iced Tea

In general, Thai iced tea is made up of a tea mix thats steeped in hot water, then mixed traditionally with sweetened condensed milk and topped with crushed ice. However, you can also use regular white sugar or make your own simple syrup and add a milk of your choosing.

The Thai iced tea mix packets themselves have very limited labels from my experience. All of my test packets list some sort of tea , maybe sugar, and always some sort of food coloring.

Recipes With Star Anise

Whole star anise is good to add to fattier meat braised dishes such as a braised pork belly. Ground star anise is a common spice in Indian cuisine, where it is used in the spice blend garam masala and drinks such as chai, and can be added to pumpkin pie and gingerbread for another layer of flavor.

• Cinnamon-Star Anise Green Tea

Recommended Reading: How To Get Tea Stains Out Of Fabric

How To Make Thai Tea At Home

Brewing the tea mix is as easy as making any other tea at home. In a pot over the stove, add 4 cups of water on medium-high heat. Once the water begins to boil, add the tea mix and stir the tea mix thoroughly.

Allow the tea to boil for 3 minutes. Carefully watch the boiling tea to prevent the water from over boiling and potentially ruining your stove with yellow food dye. After 3 minutes, remove the pot off the heat and let the mixture cool for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, strain the tea over a mesh strainer and a bowl, or a fancy tea sock. Make sure the tea is nice and clean of any tea leaves. Since Thai tea is best served cold, I like to make this recipe ahead of time and leave it to chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

To assemble, fill a glass with lots of ice and add half of the cooled Thai tea into a glass. Mix in your preferred sweetener . Now sit and watch the amazing-ness of the orange ombre about to take effect. This is my favorite part!

The ice will help dilute some of the sweetness so we want a strong and sweet base. Top it off with more ice if you prefer. Enjoy!

Boba Prep Step 1 Boil The Boba

Before using the Boba, you will need to prepare it by boiling it in water for 30-40 minutes, stirring often, to ensure the tapioca bubble balls do not stick to the bottom of the pan.

The Boba changes color as it cooks and so do not be surprised to find the boba balls you bought because they matched the color of your tabby cat, have turned black as they cooked!

Also Check: Where To Buy Peach Twisted Tea

Star Anise Vs Anise Seed

Star anise and anise seed are often confused with each other due to their similar taste and name. However, these two plants are not from the same plant familystar anise is from the magnolia whereas aniseed is from the parsley family. The seeds also differ in appearance star anise seeds are larger and a dark reddish-brown color while anise seeds are smaller and look more like fennel seeds.

It is also important not to confuse star anise with the Japanese star anise, Illicium anistatum, which is highly toxic and must not be consumed. It is often burned as incense.

What Is Thai Milk Tea

Thai Milk Tea is a sweet, caffeinated drink originating from Thailand. It has become a very popular drink abroad too, with Thai restaurant serving it across the globe.

Thai bubble tea is made with a Thai Tea base with brown sugar, then mixed with condensed milk and topped with evaporated milk. Tapioca pearls can also be added for extra texture and chewiness.

The drink is always served cold, so ice cubes are a must. Thai iced milk tea is incredibly refreshing on a hot summers day!

Read Also: Is Green Tea Fat Burner Pills Good For You

How To Make All

Using organic black tea bags instead of the Thai tea mix: We also tested another version with pekong black tea bags and the flavor was still great. Only thing missing was the brilliant orange color and the subtle hint of sweet vanilla. If you want an all Natural Thai tea blend, heres one weve found.

Either way, find your way into the kitchen to make yourself a batch of this restaurant style thai iced tea thats homemade. Make yourself a big batch asap. Were not joking. Make this now and let us know what you think. And remember, make it your own and play with the different levels of sweetness and creaminess.

Thanks Auntie Chung for the homemade Thai iced tea inspiration.

-diane

Questions You May Have

Is there caffeine in this drink?

Yes, theres caffeine in the black tea so theres caffeine in this drink.

What makes Thai iced tea so orange?

The bright orange color is from the red and yellow food coloring thats in the Thai tea mix.

Can I make this without freezing the condensed milk and evaporated milk?

Yes! Just stir the two together and pour it into the tea. I freeze the two and whisk so that the drink has a nice, rich frothy topping.

You May Like: How Many Carbs Does Twisted Tea Have