Ultamate Thai Iced Tea (Cha Yen) Recipe
This was always just there. At home my mother made it — brewed strong, sweetened properly, poured cold over ice with condensed milk swirling through. At the market it came in a plastic bag with a straw, the orange color bright through the plastic, sweet and cold and completely itself. It was a regular drink. Not special occasion. Simply what we had, whenever we wanted it. Sweet and cool and completely Thai. That is still exactly what it is.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 3 tablespoons Thai tea mix
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 cup evaporated milk
- Ice cubes
Instructions
- Prepare the Tea: Boil 2 cups of water in a medium-sized pot. Once boiling, add 3 tablespoons of Thai tea mix. Stir and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. The tea leaves will release their bold, fragrant aroma, filling your kitchen with a hint of vanilla and spice. After simmering, strain the tea using a fine mesh sieve to remove the leaves, leaving you with a rich, amber-colored brew.
- Sweeten the Tea: While the tea is still warm, add 1/2 cup of sugar and stir until fully dissolved. The warmth of the tea helps the sugar integrate seamlessly, creating a smooth and sweet base for your iced tea. Allow the sweetened tea to cool to room temperature before proceeding to the next step. This cooling period is crucial as it ensures your tea won't melt the ice too quickly, keeping your drink perfectly chilled.
- Mix with Condensed Milk: Pour into a large pitcher once your tea has cooled. Add 1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk and 1/4 cup of evaporated milk. Stir well until the milks are thoroughly combined, giving the tea its signature creamy texture and sweetness. The condensed milk adds a luscious, velvety consistency, while the evaporated milk enhances the richness without overpowering the tea's flavors.
- Serve Over Ice: Fill tall glasses with ice cubes almost to the top. Pour the creamy tea mixture over the ice, allowing the liquid to cascade through the cubes, creating a beautiful, layered effect. The contrast between the dark tea and the milky swirls is visually appealing and sets the stage for a refreshing experience.
- Garnish and Enjoy: Top each glass with a splash of evaporated milk or whipped cream for an extra touch of elegance. Serve immediately and enjoy your homemade Thai Iced Tea. Each sip offers a perfect balance of solid tea, sweet milk, and refreshing coldness, making it an irresistible treat for any occasion.1/4 cup evaporated milk
Notes
The Thai tea mix is not replaceable with regular black tea. This is the one ingredient on this page where substitution produces a fundamentally different drink rather than a close approximation. The blend of Ceylon tea, star anise, and spices in Thai tea mix — and the food-grade orange coloring that gives Cha Yen its specific color — are not present in any plain black tea. A drink made with regular black tea and condensed milk is a different drink. A good drink, perhaps, but not Thai iced tea. Use the Thai tea mix. Cha Tra Mue, the brand with the gold elephant, is the one to find.
Brew the tea strong and do not over-steep it. Five minutes in very hot water produces a strong, properly flavored tea. Beyond five minutes the tannins in the tea leaves become bitter and the bitterness fights the sweetness rather than sitting beneath it the way it should. Set a timer. Five minutes. Not eight.
Cool the tea before the ice goes in. Hot tea melts ice immediately, diluting the drink before a single sip is taken. Brew the tea ahead — even thirty minutes ahead — and let it cool. A batch brewed in the morning and refrigerated is ready to pour all day. My mother always had it cold and ready. That is the practical approach.
The sweetness is correct as written. Thai iced tea is a sweet drink — the condensed milk and the sugar in the brewed tea together produce a sweetness that is part of what the drink is. Reducing the sugar in the brew and adding less condensed milk will produce something milder. But the version at the market, the version in the plastic bag, the version my mother made — that was sweet. That is what this is.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 200kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 3gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 40mgSugar: 25g
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