How To Make This Recipe
This Thai Iced Tea recipe is incredibly easy to make. All you need to do is steep the tea in sugar, and pour in the sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk blend.
Is It Easy To Get Thai Tea Everywhere
You can get Thai tea at an Asian grocery store. But I also agree that getting the Thai tea bags everywhere is not so easy. But Thai Iced Tea lovers found a solution to recreate this tea at home. To get perfect Thai tea blend, youll only need some loose black tea leaves and then you add a few spices to it while boiling.
Is It Necessary To Add Evaporated Milk To Thai Iced Tea
No, its not. Some people like to add evaporated milk along with sweetened condensed milk. Evaporated milk is like an unsweetened heavy cream. So the addition of evaporated milk makes this Thai iced tea super creamy and milky. I dont like Thai iced tea overly creamy, so I dont add evaporated milk. But if you like your tea super creamy and milky, then surely add evaporated milk.
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How To Store Iced Tea
Its best to store iced tea a glass or stainless-steel container instead of a plastic container. Keep it in the refrigerator at all times, covered tightly with a lid to prevent the tea from oxidizing and absorbing off-flavors. If youve added a sweetener to the iced tea, the CDC recommends drinking it within eight hours to prevent fermentation or bacterial contamination. Unsweetened tea is technically okay to drink for three to four days, although it will start to lose its flavor after the first 24 hours.
Boba Prep Step 4 Making The Caramel
To make the caramel we simply heat up a little water into which you dissolve brown sugar and then turn off the heat. Add in a little honey to add depth to the caramel sauce stirring it to combine and mix with the boba to coat.
You then end up with a sweet caramel coated boba to drop into the bottom of your Thai milk tea for boba milk tea. Simples!
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Kitchen Tools For This Recipe
- Kettle: Technically, you can use whichever method you prefer for heating up the water to a boil. However, when I bought my white electric Stag kettle I fell in LOVE. It is incredibly chic, the water heats up really quickly and comes in so many cute colors!
- Large Mixing Bowl: you can use any large heatproof mixing bowl for steeping the tea. Alternatively, if you want to make a single portion you can cut the recipe by ¼ and steep the tea in your mug.
- Tea Strainer or Cheese Cloth: Using a tea strainer will make steeping the tea a breeze. I did not have a tea strainer so I resorted to a fine mesh sieve and a cheese cloth which did the trick!
- Metal or glass straws: save the Earth. Use re-usable metal or glass straws.
What If Thai Tea Is Too Bitter
Sometimes the thai tea mixture can be too bitter for some peoples taste. Everyone has a different level of taste sensitivity and thus, the astringency of the tea can be overwhelming. So how to make thai tea less bitter? Its easy. Heres a few suggestions:
- Perhaps you over-steeped it. This means that the leaves were soaking in the hot water for too long. We suggest steeping the leaves for about 30 minutes but not longer than 1 hour. Most of our readers have had lots of success with this recipe and timing!
- If youve already made the mix, then add a little more water to the mix until it tastes more balanced.
- Or if youre going to brew the mixture, use about 30% of the tea leaves.
- You can add a little more of the half/half or cream to soften the astringency. Youll have a creamier thai tea drink, but thats still quite delicious.
- Add more ice to water down the drink.
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How To Make Thai Boba Tea At Home
There are two ways that you can make Thai boba tea at home. One is using a pre-made mix for this type of tea and the other is to start with a strong black tea and mix it yourself. Making the tea with a mix will obviously be easier and will take less time to prepare but will not be as authentic as making it from scratch.
When And Where Did I First Savor My Thai Iced Tea
I had my first Thai iced tea at a local renowned Thai restaurant when one day I visited it with a couple of friends. We all were looking for something different and new to try and then we went for this Thai Iced Tea along with Thai food. This tea was double sweetened with sugar and sweetened condensed milk. A spice and dessert lover in me went crazy right after the first sip I took then. It was the love at first sip.
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How Much Sugar Is In Thai Iced Tea
The amount of sugar in Thai iced tea varies depending on how its prepared. The sweetness varies depending on the brand of Thai tea mix. Thai iced tea made with Thai tea mix is often sweeter than Thai iced tea made with Ceylon tea. This makes sense because Thai tea mix is often made with artificial sweeteners and flavorings. The result is a more artificially flavored and sweeter tea.
So How Much Caffeine Is Too Much
Most experts say that 400 mg of caffeine per day is safe for most adults. Thats about four cups of coffee. But everyone metabolizes caffeine differently, so some people may be more sensitive to its effects. That being said, its always best to moderate your intake and see how you feel.
If youre pregnant, trying to conceive, or breastfeeding, its best to limit your caffeine intake to 300 mg per day. And if you have a heart condition, anxiety, or high blood pressure, you should talk to your doctor about how much caffeine is safe for you.
Bottom line: Thai iced tea contains a high amount of caffeine, so its best to moderate your intake. If youre sensitive to caffeine, you may want to limit your intake to one cup per day. And if youre trying to cut back on caffeine, its best to do it gradually.
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Does Thai Iced Tea Have Caffeine
A lot of our followers ask us if Thai iced tea has a lot of caffeine, and that answer is yes and no. It really depends on the type of method used to make the tea.
For example, if you were to use decaffeinated tea then there will not be any noticeable caffeine. In other words, decaf teas or coffee still have traces of caffeine but not enough to experience its effects. Its very difficult to achieve 0% caffeine in an already caffeinated beverage.
On the other hand, if you were to use regular black tea leaves, then there is likely caffeine in the Thai iced tea. But there wouldnt be as much as coffee. Generally, boba shops will use regular black tea leaves, so its safe to assume your Thai iced tea will have caffeine.
The Best Thai Tea Brands
After consulting with some of my friends, I found a few types of Thai tea mixed packages online. I tried three popular Thai tea mixes for this recipe:
- Pantai Thai Tea Mix: Strong flavor without being too bitter. This mix is described as authentic restaurant style Thai tea, and I believe it!
- Thai Tea Cha Thai: Good flavor, but not as bold as the Pantai Thai Tea Mix.
- Cha Tra Mae brand Thai Tea Mix: Bitter and acidic notes. This tea was my least favorite.
Pantai Thai Tea Mix was hands down my favorite among the three because of its bold flavor. Since you will be adding ice to this Thai milk tea, you want to make sure your tea is strong enough that it wont be diluted by the crushed ice.
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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.
How To Drink Thai Boba Milk Tea
It might sound a funny thing to talk about but a glass full of ice with deliciously sweet milk tea swirling on top of your boba does not make it very easy to get the boba into your mouth.
No worries the simple answer is a straw. Now you could try a regular straw and try to spear your boba with the end or use the scientific principles of suction to try to tease it out. Or just get yourself a boba straw thats specially made just big enough. Suck it up and see!
One of Thailands best loved milky drinks in contrast to the herbal tea drinks such as the Thai pandan drink and butterfly pea tea which are also worth a try.
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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.
How To Get The Perfect Orange Thai Iced Tea Coloring Without Food Dye
Turmeric! Believe it or not, this spice commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisines such a curry works equally well in Thai tea. Sprinkling the potent powder into your recipe will naturally dye the tea the delicious beautiful burnt orange color without the potential health consequences.
While turmeric does have a strong flavor it doesnt overpower this Thai tea mixture. It blends perfectly with the other flavorings.
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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.
How To Make Thai Iced Tea: The Perfect Refreshing Drink For A Hot Day
Thai iced tea is a refreshing drink that originates from Thailand. Its perfect for hot days and can be made in a variety of ways. In this article, well show you how to make Thai iced tea step by step, as well as some tips for making the best cup of Thai iced tea possible.
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Why This Is The Best Thai Bubble Tea
- Authentic recipe: I learned how to prepare Thai Milk Tea many years ago when visiting Thailand, so this recipe is as authentic as it gets.
- Fragrant aroma: Thai Tea is incredibly rich and fragrant, so this drink is an absolute joy! The condensed milk and evaporate milk add extra creaminess, making it one of the best milk teas out there.
- Easy to make: Although it sounds complex, Thai Bubble Tea is very easy to make and only takes minutes.
- Perfect with spicy food: Thai Milk Tea is great for soothing your tongue after eating spicy Thai food. The cold and milky drink is the best combination for soothing your taste buds after eating flaming hot food.
- Great for hot summer days: If the weather gets as hot as Thailand wherever you are, this Thai Iced Tea is guaranteed to cool you down.
- Looks amazing: The vibrant orange colour of the tea makes a really beautiful milk tea!
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.
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Recipe Notes And Expert Tips
- Add plenty of sugar but adjust the sweetness to your liking. The best Thai iced tea is very sweet just like southern sweet tea. While its not the most healthy ingredient, adding enough sugar is key to getting that sweet milk taste. You can adjust the sugar to how sweet you want it though.
- Save time and cut out steps by using this teapot. Whenever I prepare tea using loose tea itself I use this teapot. It cuts down on having to use a strainer.
- Since this healthy thai tea recipe is made without using Thai tea mix you wont get the super orange color. The mix has food coloring, which you can add yourself using a dye-free food coloring. I did NOT use dye in the version you see here in the photos.
- To get the burnt orange color without food coloring make sure to use turmeric. Sprinkling the powder into your recipe will naturally dye the tea burnt orange without the potential health consequences. While turmeric does have a strong flavor it doesnt overpower this Thai tea mixture.
What Does Thai Tea Taste Like
Thai tea is sweeter than regular tea due to sugar and condensed milk. And the milk makes it creamier and thicker. So the mouthfeel is cool and refreshing, but the spices make it warm simultaneously.
The dominant flavour is from the variety of black tea used in its preparation. However, we can also find several other flavours present.
Overall, this drink is great if you like tea, boba milk tea, or milkshakes. Also, since many serve the beverage over ice, it’s an ideal beverage for the summer.
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What Is Thai Tea Mix Made Of
The two most well known brands of Thai tea mixes are Pantai and Chatramue. I’m using Pantai in this recipe you can just buy whichever one is available at the grocery store or online.
Thai tea mix is made from camellia sinensis black tea, spices and food coloring which makes the tea orange when milk is added.
Why Is It So Orange
Have you ever wondered why Thai tea has such an incredibly, and overly orange tone to it?
So did I.
After I read the ingredients list on the bag of tea, I discovered that it includes some C Yellow Number 6 .
So thats the secret, its not just that its really awesome yellow tea, its a food dye that they put into the tea leaves .
I think you could make this Thai iced tea recipe with any kind of black tea, and it might just not have that orange color, but I think it would taste fine.
But on the streets of Thailand, or if you go to a Thai restaurant and order iced tea, it will always be the orange color.
Thai iced tea recipe try it today
I used about 1 tablespoon of tea leaves for this recipe.
There are a number of different ways you can steep your tea leaves, but the point to remember is you just need to steep them in hot water for a few minutes until you tea is nice and dark orange in color.
I used a tea sock, but you can even just toss your leaves into a cup of hot water, leave it for a few minutes, and then strain out the leaves.
Thai iced tea is always prepared hot, and yet its consumed cold on ice.
But rather than sticking it into the fridge or freezer and cooling the tea off, its instead poured over a cup of crushed ice before being consumed. When you make your tea, if you taste test it when its still hot, you want it to be a little stronger and sweeter than you like it, and it will become diluted as soon as it hits the ice.
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