Ingredients
Method
- Start by bringing two cups of water to a rolling boil in a small pot. If you want to add an extra layer of spice, drop in a whole star anise or a cinnamon stick while the water heats up.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the loose Thai tea mix. Give it a good stir to make sure all the leaves are submerged. Cover the pot with a lid and set a timer for 20 to 30 minutes. The water will turn a dark, almost blood-red color during this time.
- While the tea is still warm, add the granulated sugar. Stir it until you can no longer see any crystals at the bottom of the pot. Dissolving the sugar in warm liquid is much more effective than trying to stir it into a cold drink later.
- Once the tea has finished steeping, you need to strain it carefully. Use a fine-mesh strainer or, even better, a traditional “sock” filter made of cloth. Pour the tea into a glass pitcher and let it cool down to room temperature before placing it in the refrigerator to chill completely.
- Fill two tall glasses to the brim with ice. Crushed ice is the best choice for Thai tea because it has more surface area to chill the hot tea instantly and gives the drink a great texture.
- Pour the chilled tea over the ice, leaving about an inch of space at the top of each glass. You should see the ice shift and settle as the liquid fills the gaps.
- Slowly pour one tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk over the top of the tea, followed by a tablespoon of evaporated milk. Do not stir it immediately.
- The white milk will slowly bloom and swirl down into the dark orange tea, creating a beautiful marbled effect. Give it a gentle swirl with a straw right before you take your first sip.
Notes
The biggest mistake is not steeping the tea long enough. If the tea is weak, the milk will completely overwhelm the flavor, and you will end up with a glass of orange-colored milk rather than spiced tea.
Don’t be afraid of the tea looking too dark in the pot. Once you add the white milk, that darkness is what transforms into the iconic bright orange glow.
Another issue is the temperature. If you pour hot tea directly onto ice without letting it cool first, the ice will melt instantly. This results in a lukewarm, watery drink. Always take the time to let the tea reach at least room temperature.