Recipes

Thai Iced Tea

Cha Yen

Sweet, creamy Thai black iced tea with a drizzle of evaporated milk

Prep

2 min

Cook

5 min

Serves

4

Heat

mild

Cha Yen's bright orange color and rich sweetness make it instantly recognizable, built on strong black tea steeped just long enough before a combination of sweetened condensed and evaporated milk turns it creamy. Made by the pitcher rather than the single glass, it's easy to keep chilled in the fridge for whenever a glass is wanted. A final drizzle of plain evaporated milk poured over the crushed ice right before serving is the finishing touch, creating the marbled look that makes Thai iced tea as visually distinctive as it is sweet.

Ingredients

• 1 liter Water
• 1/4 cup Thai black tea blend (Cha Tra Meu)
• 2 2/3 tablespoons Evaporated milk, unsweetened (plus more for drizzling on top)
• 2 2/3 tablespoons Sweetened condensed milk
• 2 2/3 tablespoons Sugar

Directions

1. Heat the water until rapidly boiling, then turn off the heat. Stir in the tea mix well.
2. Let the tea steep for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
3. Strain the tea through a cloth filter bag into a clean pot.
4. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and sugar.
5. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves, then let cool to room temperature.
6. Transfer to a pitcher and refrigerate until very cold.
7. Serve in a tall glass filled with crushed ice.
8. Drizzle a little extra evaporated milk over the top of each glass.
9. Garnish with mint leaves and drink with a straw.

Notes

Strain the tea through a cloth filter rather than a coarse strainer — the fine tea particles left behind by a loose strainer make the finished drink taste gritty rather than smooth.

Substitutions

Any black tea can substitute for the traditional Thai tea blend; add a little vanilla extract and a few drops of orange food coloring to get closer to the original flavor and color.