What Is Thai Tea
The Thai Iced Tea we know and love here in the United States is not necessarily traditional Thai iced tea. In fact, tea, overall, is a relatively new concept believed to have been brought over to Thailand sometime in the 1980s from China. Created some 30 years ago, traditional versions consisted of black tea, condensed milk, and crushed ice.
It was at this time that Thai Tea, became a staple of Thai street food.
A Thai Tea Recipe From Scratch Without The Unhealthy Ingredients
Published: by Aimee Mars · This post may contain affiliate links.
Sharing is caring!
This sweet and creamy Thai Tea Recipe from Scratch is a decadent chilly caffeinated drink recipe without the harmful dyes. Sip this beautiful beverage with a bold ombre orange color to cool off or cool down when eating spicy Thai foods.
How To Make Thai Tea:
Thanks to MOCAFE Thai Tea Latte Mix, it is now easier than ever before to offer this exotic classic to your customers. By simply adding the Thai Tea powder to milk and ice, you can create this delicious refreshing tea in either bulk or single-serve quantities making it ideal for cafés and restaurants of any size. Gain a competitive advantage by adding this unique refresher to your menu today.
You May Like: What Is Burdock Tea Good For
How To Make Homemade Evaporated Milk
Since this recipe only makes two drinks you wont need very much evaporated milk. You can store the remaining homemade milk in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for your next batch of tea.
Potential Health Benefits Of Thai Tea
Thai tea can be drunk as a folk remedy or enjoyed as a part of your regular diet. Thanks to its caffeine content, it can give an energy boost similar to drinking a cup of coffee. It also contains important antioxidants. Antioxidants help prevent damage to your cells that can lead to serious diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimers disease and macular degeneration .
There are a number of potential health benefits to drinking Thai Tea or any black tea regularly:
Discourages Weight Gain
Drinking black tea regularly can be a great tool to combat weight gain. Research has shown that the polyphenols in black tea inhibit obesity by aiding in the absorption of lipids and complex sugars. Thai tea also helps suppress digestion. Reports indicate that these effects are even more pronounced in black tea than in green tea.
Lowers Cholesterol
Drinking a couple of cups of black tea each day can help lower your cholesterol. High cholesterol levels can lead to several cardiovascular disorders, including heart attacks. Drinking at least three cups of black tea a day also increases a persons antioxidant levels, another plus for good heart health.
Black tea has been shown to help reverse some of the arterial dysfunction associated with heart disease. It can also improve blood oxidation, an important indicator of heart health and other chronic medical issues.
Antimicrobial Properties
You May Like: Where Can I Buy Hyssop Tea
Primes Thai Tea Vancouver Menu
Primes Thai Tea Vancouver menu is divided into:
- Cheese and Tea
- Thai Tea Special Drink
- ZhiZhi Fruit Tea
- Primes Thai Tea
- Fresh Fruit Tea
- Fresh Fruit Bubble
The drinks are priced around $5- $7.
They also have a few snacks like Original or Chocolate Bubble Waffle and Snowflake Crisps.
To see a larger photo of the menu, click here or download below.
Topping choices include Pearl, Red Bean, Red Glutinous Rice, Sago, Milk Cover, and Konjac.
One thing I found was that the menu was not as descriptive as I would like. Some drinks already contain toppings but its hard to tell which ones based on the names of the drinks.
Primes Thai Tea Vancouver On Robson Street
Newly open on Robson Street is Primes Thai Tea, a Chinese brand which specializes in Thai-style milk teas. The brand was founded in 2015 and originated from Jianmen, Guangdong. Primes Thai Tea is one of the largest beverage brands in China with over 500 stores.
Primes Thai Tea opened up a location in White Rock last year and this new outpost at 1194 Robson Street is their second.
Read Also: Gold Peak Sweet Tea Caffeine
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.
How To Store Thai Iced Tea
If you plan on making large batches of this tea, which I highly recommend, then youll want to store the tea in glass jars with lids or in a pitcher. Keeping them in the single-serve-sized jars makes them easy to grab and go. The tea will keep for up to 7 days stored in the refrigerator.
It is entirely your choice if you would like to add the sweetened milk mixture to your tea during storage or keep it stored separately. The milk mixture only keeps for about 4 to 5 days if you add in whole milk or evaporated milk. Keep this separate and the sweetened condensed milk will last for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Read Also: Is Gold Peak Green Tea Good For You
How Is Thai Tea Different From Plain Black Tea
Unlike regular black tea,Thai Tea is infused with star anise and cloves and sweetened with sugar or sweetened condensed milk.
Thai tea can be made in two ways:
The recipe I am sharing here today is using a pre-made tea mix. After all, Im American and this is what I know best.
But its pretty darn good. And it brings back ALL the memories of scooting from one side of Koh Tao to the other on the back of a teeny tiny little motorbikewithout a helmet.
Create A New Wish List
Auto reorder # will now ship via common carrier. Please choose your delivery preferences:
Note: Package design may vary
- Delicious combination of full-bodied black tea flavor, Thai spices, and smooth non-dairy creamer
- Contains caffeine, lactose-free
- Resealable bag makes for quick and easy use and storage
- Each bag makes approximately 24 fl. oz. prepared beverages
- Perfect for crafting milk teas, smoothies, slushies, and other specialty beverages
| Powder Mixes |
Recommended Reading: Does Dunkin Donuts Sell Boba Tea
Tips For Making The Best Thai Iced Tea
- Lots of sugar. Thai iced tea is super sweet, just like Southern sweet tea, and you can use whichever sweetener you prefer. Adding quite a bit of sugar may seem odd, but this is key for making the best-tasting Thai tea.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk. This super thick milk mixture does add even more sweetness but also brings an extra-smooth creaminess to the beverage. It is also responsible for creating the beautiful ombre look of deep orange to a creamier colored orange.
- Whole Spices. Since this recipe doesnt use the Thai tea mix youll need to add some additional spices. These spices will be in their whole form to achieve that delicious flavor. I would even suggest using these spices in the tea mix too though. You need a cinnamon stick, star anise, whole cardamom, ground turmeric, and a piece of vanilla bean although the last is optional.
The 15 Best Places For Thai Tea In Phoenix
Carl Gregory: Get there’re Thai Tea ….Awesome!!!
Anuja Juvekar: Try Thai tea and spicy ginger soy beef…. It’s awesome!!
Sandra Lacy: Delicious vegetarian food! A must!
Hendri Silaen: Good food. I love the iced Thai tea.
Nick C: Get the Thai iced tea! So delicious!
Alex: I had Red Curry here and it was really good! Nice setting and location and great hours for a downtown location!
Tony: Try the Thai tea & orange chicken!
Anna Klementowska: Good Thai food 🙂
Sarah Wilkinson: Chicken panang curry was very good!
Nataya Charnraksa: My favorite is spicy noodle with basil & spicy level 3. Don’t forget Thai tea to drink
Genevieve Rice: Great Midtown Thai joint specializing in northern Thai cuisine. All the basics are dynamite here, but for an extra special treat, be sure to try the powerfully savory BBQ Thai Chicken.
Phoenix New Times: Try the Thai BBQ Chicken! An alluring marinade infuses the meat with great flavor, while giving the deeply caramel-colored coating a savory, salty boost – it’s one of Michele Laudig’s Favorite Dishes! Read more.
You May Like: Dunkin Donuts Iced Green Tea Caffeine
Which Tea Is Best For Making This Thai Milk Tea Recipe
Traditional Thai Iced Tea uses a Thai tea mix that comes in powder form. For a healthier version and this recipe, youll want to use black tea. You can either use loose tea and place it in a tea infuser or cheesecloth. The best option though is to use tea bags, which are less cumbersome for this recipe.
What Are Flavored Teas
Our delicious flavored teas use the same top-quality organic tea that we offer in our unflavored varieties, but are blended with pieces of real fruit, spices, flowers, and 100% natural flavors. When blending our teas, our goal is to create a cup that balances the taste of the tea with the flavors of the additional ingredients so that neither one overpowers. All of the natural flavors we use are either extracts taken directly from the botanical ingredient, or extracted using 100% GMO-free grain alcohol as a solvent. You can rest assured that none of the flavors used in our blends are synthetically or artificially derived, and do not use artificial preservatives.
Also Check: What Ingredients Are In Long Island Iced Tea
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!
Authentic Thai Tea Recipe
Years ago, my Auntie Chung was telling me how easy it was to make Thai iced tea. She had worked in an Asian restaurant and one of the most popular items on the entire menu was Thai iced tea. She proceeded to tell me exactly how to make it and how profitable it was for restaurants to make. I didnt care too much about the profitability of Thai iced tea. But rather, Im more interested on how easily it was made and why we didnt make it more often. The version we have is as authentic as what most Thai restaurants in America are making. Our version really does taste like what we have ordered at most Thai restaurants.
Don’t Miss: How Many Carbs In Twisted Tea Half And Half
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.
How To Make Restaurant Thai Iced Tea At Home
The only difference in our Thai tea recipe when compared to most restaurant versions is that were using a little less sugar. But really, once you get the basics down on making Thai iced tea you can customize the flavors and concentration the way you like. Its one of those recipes that is great no matter how you make it because its just so decadent and satisfying.
One of the key factors in making it like the restaurants is using authentic Thai tea mixes. These Thai tea mixes are normally dyed with yellow food coloring and thats what gives it its bright orange color. Also, Thai tea has a vanilla aroma to it. So if you want to have the brilliant orange color and flavors like most of the Thai restaurants, then this is one of the brands of Thai tea to buy : Pantai.
Theres probably other brands of Thai tea mixes to buy, but this is the one we first tried it with and it was a success. Some readers enjoyed using this brand of Thai tea mix called The Original Thai Iced Tea Mix.
Heres a re-usable cloth tea filter that can also be helpful as well. We usually make large batches, so we just simmer the tea leaves in the hot water.
Also Check: Is Gold Peak Green Tea Good For You
What Is Authentic Thai Tea
Authentic Thai tea is a blend of black tea, spices, evaporated milk, and sweetener. Thai Tea Mix is commonly used, which is a blend of black tea and spices, such as star anise, cardamom, and tamarind. Sugar is the typical sweetener.
Different variations of this drink use evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, or even coconut milk.
When I was in Thailand, every time I had this drink it was made with evaporated milk. When I asked why, I was told that evaporated milk is traditional. Because of the hot climate of Thailand its difficult to keep fresh milk for any length of time, so they got used to evaporated milk, which is self-stable.
How To Make Thai Milk Tea
This recipe is super simple to make and has all healthy ingredients with no artificial flavoring or dye. For specific healthy ingredient options follow the links in this ingredient list. There are only three main steps to prepare the tea, mix the sweetened milk, and put it all together.
- Place the tea, water, vanilla, and spices into a medium pot to simmer.
- Mix the sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk.
- Strain the tea.
- Pour the tea over ice.
Also Check: Long Island Drink Variations
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
Watch The Video For Making Thai Iced Tea:
Fast forward about 7 years later as Im sitting in Chicago eating Thai food and sipping my Thai iced tea. My brain light bulb pops on: We need to make Thai tea! Auntie told me how easy it was to make and why havent we made it before? Here you have it. All I can say is that if youre a fan of Thai iced tea at $3.25 a pop, then you must make this now.
Not only will you be saving a big wad of cash on a yearly basis, but youll also have a bottomless pitcher of Thai tea. This huge party pitcher will allow you to savor, sip and share with friends. This Thai iced tea recipe is so easy. Pretty much every YouTube video you see uses the same brand and shows the same steps. As far as the creamy layer goes, many people use different ingredients such as half and half or whole milk. Other options include coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk and even low-fat milk. Choose your creamy poison.
How to Make Easy Thai Iced Tea. More Photos in Recipe Box Below:
Read Also: Gold Peak Green Tea Review