Thai Iced Tea

Ingredients

Tea

• 4 tablespoonsThai tea mix
• or 4 tablespoons strong black tea with 1 star anise and 2 crushed cardamom pods
• 500 mlwater

To sweeten

• 4 tablespoonssugar
• 4 tablespoonssweetened condensed milk

To finish

• 4 tablespoonsevaporated milk
• or single cream

To serve

• plenty of ice

Directions

1. Bring the water to a full rolling boil. Put the tea mix into a heatproof jug or a pan. Pour the boiling water over it.
2. Let it steep for five full minutes. The result should be very dark and almost syrupy in strength.
3. Strain out every trace of the leaves. Sweetening it is done while the tea is still hot. Stir the sugar into the hot tea until it dissolves.
4. Add the condensed milk and stir it in thoroughly. Condensed milk is thick and sinks without proper stirring. Taste it now and remember that ice will dilute it. It should taste noticeably too sweet at this stage.
5. Let the sweetened tea cool to room temperature. Then chill it in the refrigerator for an hour. Fill two tall glasses completely with ice. Pour the chilled sweet tea over the ice.
6. Leave a couple of centimetres of space at the top. Pour it over the back of a spoon to float it.
7. Serve it with a straw and let the drinker stir it. It is drunk with spicy food and on hot afternoons. Make the tea base in a large batch and keep it chilled.

Technique

• Cha yen is one of a family of Thai teashop drinks that includes cha dam yen, the same tea served black and sweet with no milk.
• The distinctive orange colour comes from food colouring in the commercial mix, not from the tea itself.

Substitutions

• Strong Ceylon or Assam tea with star anise, cardamom and a little vanilla gives a close flavour without the colour.
• Coconut milk can replace both milks for a dairy-free version, which is common in Thai vegan cafes.

Variations

• Cha dam yen is the same tea sweetened and iced with no milk at all.
• Cha manao adds lime instead of milk.
• A hot version called cha ron is served in the same teashops in cool weather.

History

Strongly brewed black tea coloured orange and sweetened with condensed and evaporated milk, a fixture of Thai-Chinese teashops.

Frequently asked questions

What is Thai Iced Tea?

Thai Iced Tea is a drink from Thailand: sweet orange-hued spiced tea poured over ice with condensed milk. Strongly brewed black tea coloured orange and sweetened with condensed and evaporated milk, a fixture of Thai-Chinese teashops.

How long does Thai Iced Tea take to make?

Thai Iced Tea takes 5 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes 2 glasses. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Thai Iced Tea?

Yes, within limits. Strong Ceylon or Assam tea with star anise, cardamom and a little vanilla gives a close flavour without the colour. Coconut milk can replace both milks for a dairy-free version, which is common in Thai vegan cafes.