Thailand · Beverages

Thai Iced Tea (Cha Yen)

Cha yen is the Thai street tea built on condensed milk.

20 min✻4 servings✻170 kcal
Thai Iced Tea (Cha Yen)

Ingredients

  • Thai tea mix45 g
  • water1000 ml
  • sugar4 tbsp
  • sweetened condensed milk8 tbsp
  • evaporated milk120 ml
  • salt1 pinch
  • ice cubes800 g

Method

  1. 1Bring the water to a boil, take the pot off the heat, then stir in the tea mix. Steep for 8 minutes and no longer, or the tannins turn the brew bitter.
  2. 2Strain the tea through a cloth tea sock or a fine sieve into a heatproof jug. Press the leaves lightly and discard them.
  3. 3While the tea is still hot, stir in the sugar, the condensed milk and the pinch of salt until nothing is left undissolved. Sweeteners only dissolve evenly in hot tea.
  4. 4Taste the concentrate. It should read too strong and too sweet on its own, because the ice will dilute it by roughly a third.
  5. 5Cool the concentrate to room temperature, then chill it in the fridge for at least 2 hours or in an ice bath for 15 minutes. Hot tea poured over ice melts it instantly and waters the drink down.
  6. 6Fill tall glasses to the brim with ice and pour the cold tea in to about three quarters.
  7. 7Pour the evaporated milk over the back of a spoon so it settles on top in a pale layer. Serve with a straw and stir before drinking.