Hong Kong Style Iced Milk Tea
Try this Hong Kong Style Iced Milk Tea recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Hong Kong Style Iced Milk Tea recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 oz (1g)
- Sodium 436.027500884631 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Calories 0 calories
Step-by-step
- Pour the tea leaves into a muslin bag or tea filter and place over a cup or a container.
- Bring water to a boil. Pour the water through the tea bag/filter. Repeat this process 3-4 times.
- Place the tea bag in the cup and steep for 3-4 minutes.Alternative method: to make sure the tea leaves fully release its flavor, I pour the tea leaves out of the filter bag into the water and steep for a few minutes, then return the tea to the filter.
- Add 2 tbsps sugar to the tea and mix well.
- In a cup/mug, add 1 cup of ice cubes and the tea. Stir in 1/3 cup evaporated milk. The common ratio tea to milk is 3:1 if you like it more silky and smooth. Enjoy!
Ceylon tea leaves provide the robust astringency and deep color foundational to this beverage, while the added Pu-erh introduces an earthy depth that standard black teas lack. Balancing these specific percentages prevents the brew from tasting flat or overwhelmingly bitter.
A muslin cloth bag acts as the primary filter, trapping fine sediment while allowing tannins to pass through for maximum silkiness. Pouring the boiling water repeatedly through the suspended pouch aerates the leaves quickly. When lacking a traditional cloth filter, a fine-mesh metal sieve lined with unbleached cheesecloth serves as an effective substitute without imparting paper flavors.
Steeping requires precisely three to four minutes to extract optimal strength without sourness. Pouring the liquid back and forth between vessels forces oxidation, smoothing out harsh edges in the tannins. Evaporated milk supplies the necessary density and high protein content to coat the palate, unlike standard whole milk which contains too much water.
Maintaining a three-to-one tea-to-milk ratio yields a velvety body that stands up to melting ice. Sweetening the hot tea directly ensures complete dissolution before chilling occurs.
