What Is Thai Tea?

One of the most popular drinks at any Thai restaurant is Thai tea, and rightfully so. What better way to soothe the burn of all the Thai spices than a sweet, refreshing, chilled glass of iced Thai tea? The beverage is becoming quite popular over the internet, too. 

Thai iced tea is found in most Thai restaurants in the US. It is a mixture of strongly-brewed tea, any dairy or non-dairy milk of your choice, like almond or soy milk, a sweetener like sugar or honey, and your preferred spices like cardamom, turmeric, and star anise.  

So what makes this tea so popular, and what does it include in the first place? How is it different from regular chai, and how do you make it? Does it have any health benefits? Let’s look at the answers to all these questions and more. 

What is Thai Iced Tea?

Thai iced tea with milk in the cafe

Thai tea or Thai iced tea is a popular drink in Thai restaurants throughout the US. It’s characterized by its deep amber color and a milk-tinted upper layer. The combination of dairy, strongly-brewed tea, and sugar makes for a delicious drink that compliments spicy food and cools you down on hot days.

The drink is made using strongly-brewed black tea and mixed with ingredients like cardamom, crushed tamarind, star anise, and sometimes, other spices. Sweetened condensed milk and sugar are then added to the brew, which is then served over ice. 

For more visual appeal, consistency, and flavor, sometimes Thai tea is topped with additional dairy like half-and-half, whole milk, and evaporated milk or coconut milk.  

Thai vs. Chai: What’s the Difference?

Thai tea is sweeter than chai because it contains condensed milk and sugar. It’s also thicker and creamier because of the milk. And while it has a refreshing and cool mouthfeel, the spices in it make it warm at the same time. It’s truly unique.

The dominant flavor of Thai and chai tea comes from the black tea used to make it, but the former contains other flavors.  

How Do You Make Thai Iced Tea?

Making Thai iced tea isn’t hard, and preparing it won’t take long once you have all the ingredients.

Ingredients 

You need a handful of ingredients for this drink, and you can typically find an instant powder mix. However, if you’re concerned about unknown additives or allergens, opting for a freshly brewed version is better. The latter also tastes much better, even though it requires more ingredients.  

Tea

Of course, the first thing you need is tea. Ceylon tea is usually used for this, but you can opt for any strong black tea. Avoid using more complex varieties or flavors, such as smoked lapsang souchong, since it might conflict with the other spices you’ll add. 

And if you do opt for some adventurous tea flavor, you can skip the spices and instead try experimenting with a few herbs until you find a combination you like.

Milk 

Many people use dairy milk for Thai tea, like evaporated and condensed milk, but you can also use non-dairy milk like coconut, oat, almond, and soy milk. While coconut milk is lighter and adds a slight tang and a fruity note, oat milk is less creamy and would affect the consistency.

You can use half-and-half or heavy cream if you don’t have condensed or evaporated milk. But, again, it’s up to you to decide.

Sweetener

You can use white, palm, or brown sugar for sweetening purposes. You could also whip up a quick simple syrup (recipe here). If you want non-sugar sweeteners, you can also use stevia or honey. 

Spices

Brewing a few spices with the tea leaves will enhance the drink’s flavor profile. Some examples include star anise, turmeric, cinnamon, and green cardamom.

Optional Ingredients

In addition to the ingredients listed above, you’ll need ice, food coloring, and, if you want, mix-ins like grass jelly, crystal jelly boba, and tapioca pearls. 

Process

To make the tea, here’s what you need to do:

  1. Steep the tea leaves with your preferred spices. The amount of both is up to you, depending on how you like your tea, but if you add dairy, you’ll have to increase the amount of both.
  1. Add the tea and spices to an infuser or a paper tea filter and place it on an iced tea pitcher or heat-resistant glass.  
  1. Boil ½ cup of water, but make sure you don’t do it too long since it can result in an undesirable taste in the tea. Then, pour it over the tea, covering it completely. 
  1. Let it steep for up to 5 minutes, and then remove the infuser or T-sac.
    • Note: If you want a more potent brew, use more tea instead of steeping it longer. Remember that the tea should be very strong since it’ll be diluted with dairy and ice. 
  1. Next, add sugar to the tea according to taste and stir until it’s dissolved.
    • Note: If you’re going to drink the tea immediately, pour it directly over ice. But if you’re going to enjoy it later, let the brew cool down to room temperature before putting it in the fridge. Doing so will help avoid clouding.  
  1. All that’s left to do is add lime or dairy. Most restaurants serve the tea with dairy, but using just lime also results in a delicious drink.
    • Note: You can add dairy like half-and-half, whole milk, and sweetened milk directly to the tea and stir it. The amount of dairy you should use depends on personal preference. Alternatively, you can top your iced tea with dairy by slowly pouring it over some ice cubes. The cubes will keep the dairy at the top of the glass and give a gorgeous layered effect. Just make sure you don’t stir it.

What if Your Tea is Overly Bitter?

Some people might find Thai tea too bitter; if that happens, there’s nothing to worry about. In most cases, it’s because it has been steeped for too long, but luckily, you can do a few things to reduce the bitterness. 

You can add more water to the mix until you find it more suitable for your taste. Alternatively, add more cream or half-and-half to bring down the astringency. Of course, the tea will be creamier, but it’ll still be delicious. Or you can try the age-old trick—water it down by adding more ice. 

Where Does the Orange Color Come From?

Thai tea has a distinct orange color, even though black tea is nowhere near orange. So how does that happen? In most cases, chefs add artificial orange coloring to help differentiate it from Thai iced coffee and to make it more visually appealing. Still, spices like tamarind and turmeric also add color to the drink.

Does Thai Tea Have Health Benefits?

Iced Thai milk tea

Black tea itself has a number of health benefits. It’s rich in antioxidants, and drinking it regularly can help prevent macular degeneration and cardiovascular diseases. Plus, its polyphenols hinder the absorption of complex sugars and lipids, which helps fight weight gain.

It can also prevent or at least ease inflammation and chronic illnesses. And while adding sugar and milk makes it less suitable for diabetic and lactose-intolerant people, it doesn’t take away its health benefits.

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