What Is Milk Tea and How to Make It?

Have you ever tried milk tea? If not, this article is for you.

The term ‘milk tea’ typically refers to tea with milk added. The combination of milk and tea makes milk tea. That’s all.

There is an ocean of options for preparing tea with milk. It can be as simple as adding milk to your cup of tea, or it can be as complex as making milk using several spices, such as chai tea.

And you can always make it a bit more extravagant by adding sweeteners to your tea like honey, boba pearls, or brown sugar syrup. No wonder, this drink can potentially replace coffee.

Want to know more about milk tea? Read this article till the end.

Different Types of Milk Tea Recipes Around The World

Here are some of the most common and classic milk tea types:

1) The Classic Cuppa / The British Milk Tea

Originating from England, the classic cuppa tea is one of the most delicious drinks in the world.  This is one of the oldest tea recipes and the traditional way of preparing this tea is to add milk first and then pour tea over the milk.

If you prefer sweet tea, you can add honey, white sugar, or dark brown sugar. Or you can enjoy its natural sweetness. It is creamy, smooth, and sweet. All in all, it is a delicious drink.

Also, in Ireland, people do add a splash of cream or half-and-half.

2) Bubble Tea / Boba Milk Tea

Originating from Taiwan, Bubble Tea, or Boba, widely known as pearl milk tea is among the all-time classic milk tea types, which is flavored using chewy tapioca pearls.

The pearl tea or the Boba tea can also be prepared without the milk, but people often add sweetened condensed milk, almond milk, and regular milk.

Boba milk tea is served as an iced tea or cold tea, and boba drinks come in a pool of flavors from floral, fruity, and sweet concoctions, to the standard black tea version.

Again, homemade boba drinks are more versatile than the ones bought from boba shops.

3) Hong Kong Milk Tea

Originating from Hong Kong, this milk tea is generally prepared using black tea with sweet condensed milk or evaporated milk. The Hong Kong milk tea was introduced as an afternoon beverage during the British Colonial Rule, and since then it has become a staple afternoon drink for people.

They often use Ceylon, which is a hearty-shaped black tea leaf, and sometimes aged teas like the Pu-erh. And if you use evaporated milk or hot tea, you may add a bit of brown sugar or regular white sugar to bring sweetness to the tea!

4) Tea Latte

The popularity of tea lattes is skyrocketing as cafes and coffee shops are expanding their tea selections to offer much better options to non-coffee drinkers.

Tea latte is pretty famous in North America and Europe. It can be prepared using steamed or frothed milk and tea boiling on medium heat. Tea lattes are pretty similar to coffee lattes.

Some of the most popular versions of this tea are chai latte, London Fog latte, and matcha latte. And it can be served as a cold brew tea as well.

5) Thai Tea

Thai tea is prepared using tea, sugar, and milk. Mostly served as an iced drink, Thai Tea has a base of Ceylon or Assam tea.

Thai tea is also flavored by adding lime, orange blossoms, mint, tamarind, star anise, etc. You can sweeten your drink using condensed milk or white sugar!

Thai tea is also available as a powdered mix, so people can make it easily at home.

6) Hokkaido Milk Tea

This is one of the classic milk types that originated from Hokkaido, Japan. Although, the most common teas consumed by the people of Japan are Gyokuro and Sencha.

The Hokkaido milk tea is mostly prepared with black tea and even has a pretty strong and robust base, much more like Assam tea.

Sweeteners like caramel, honey, and brown sugar are used to make it a bit extravagant.

Here’s a recipe for Hokkaido Milk Tea.

7) Masala Chai

The Masala Chai, commonly known as Indian Spiced Tea, has its own popularity and is prepared using simple syrup and powders.

The traditional recipe for making this tea is to add milk to the simmering black tea, and later add spices such as cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger!

Drinking tea developed into a staple during the late 19th century and early 20th century. And soon, tea developed into masala chai as a famous local beverage!

If you wish, you can make a latte, all you have to do is froth the milk. 

How to Prepare Milk Tea?

Ingredients

1. Black Tea – Use English breakfast tea or Assam tea. Always use tea sachets or loose tea.
2. Half and Half – Half and Half is half milk and half cream. This gives off a great taste when used with black tea.
3. Water – If possible, do use filtered water.
4. Brown Sugar – using brown sugar will give you a taste like no other, as it is a mix of molasses and white sugar.

Preparing Milk Tea: Instructions

1. Boil the water. You can also use the electric kettle, as it has a specific temperature setting. And not every tea does not need boiling water.
2. Pour some boiled water into your teapot, swirl it, and discard the hot water.
3. Combine tea and hot water in the pot, cover it and steep.
4. Strain, and then pour it into a cup. Add brown sugar, stir it well, and then add half and half.

Conclusion

So, what exactly is milk tea? In simplest terms, it is tea with milk. If you add milk or condensed milk, or even half and half, it will smoothen and sweeten the tea.

And it is the best way for anyone who wants to change their regular cup of tea.

A cup of perfect tea can literally make your afternoon!

Tea tastes best when you use loose tea leaves. Learn everything you need to know about loose-leaf tea by reading my “Friendly Loose-Leaf Tea Guide for Total Beginners“. Then, get loose-leaf tea from my tea shop.