Hong Kong-style milk tea
Encyclopedia
Hong Kong-style milk tea is a beverage originating from Hong Kong
consisting of black tea
with evaporated milk
or condensed milk
. It is usually part of lunch in Hong Kong tea culture
. Although originating from Hong Kong, it is also frequently found overseas in restaurants serving Hong Kong cuisine and Hong Kong-style western cuisine.
over Hong Kong
. The British practice of afternoon tea, where black tea
is served with milk
and sugar
, grew popular in Hong Kong. Milk tea is similar, except with evaporated or condensed milk
instead of ordinary milk. It is called "milk tea" to distinguish it from "Chinese tea
" , which is served plain.
and a type of Ceylon tea), evaporated milk
, and sugar
, the last of which is added by the customers themselves unless in the case of take-away. A variety uses condensed milk
instead of milk and sugar, gives the tea a richer feel.
To make the tea, water and tea (about 1 to 3 teaspoons of tea a cup, depending how strong the drinker likes) are brought to a boil then simmered for about 3–6 minutes. The tea is usually put in a sackcloth bag before the water is added to the pot to filter it out or if no bag available poured through a strainer. Many people also remove the pot from the heat once it boils for about 3 minutes, then bring the pot to a boil again. This process can be repeated several times, intensifying the caffeine/flavor.
The key feature of Hong Kong-style milk tea is that a sackcloth bag is used to filter the tea leaves. However any other filter/strainer may be used to filter the tea. Sackcloth bags are not completely necessary but generally preferred. The bag, reputed to make the tea smoother, gradually develops an intense brown colour as a result of prolonged tea drenching. Together with the shape of the filter, it resembles a silk stocking, giving Hong Kong-style milk tea the nickname of "pantyhose" or "silk stocking" milk tea . This nickname is used in Hong Kong but less so in mainland China
and overseas communities
.
There are debates over the authentic way of making milk tea, i.e. the sequence of adding each ingredient. Some people argue that milk should be added before pouring the tea, while some hold the opposite view. Most people do agree that both ways are authentic. In the past, however, milk tea were usually made in the tea-after-milk way. It is said that the cups may break when the tea (which can be as hot as 80–90 degree Celsius) is poured. There is also a saying that the milk is sterilized when the tea is added.
Milk tea is a popular part of many Hong Kongers' daily lives, typically served as part of afternoon tea, but also at breakfast
or dinner
. It enjoys nearly the same ubiquitous status that coffee
holds in the West
. Whilst not offered by more traditional Cantonese restaurants or dim sum
teahouses, milk tea is standard fare in Hong Kong-style western restaurants and cha chaan teng
, as well as Hong Kong's historic dai pai dong
, with a price between HKD$8–$12 (hot, one or two dollars more for cold). A cup of hot milk tea is usually either served in a ceramic cup (often referred to as a "coffee cup" 咖啡杯) or a tall cylindrical plastic glass.
In contrast, some expatriate Westerners and tourists may not hold milk tea in as high regard. The 2006 edition of the Rough Guide to Hong Kong and Macau compares the local milk tea unfavourably with "proper" English tea served in more formal Western cafes and hotels such as the Peninsula Hotel
, citing different cultural preferences. In the Lonely Planet
World Food Hong Kong, traditional Chinese tea
and high teas in hotels are favoured over milk tea, which is not mentioned at all.
Another criterion for tasty milk tea (and also bubble tea
) is some white frothy residue inside the lip of the cup after some of it has been drunk. This white froth means that the concentration of butterfat
in the evaporated milk used is high enough.
The taste and texture of 'Hong Kong' style milk tea might be influenced by the milk used. For example, some Hong Kong cafés prefer using a filled milk
variant, meaning it is not purely evaporated milk (as with most retail brands) but a combination of skimmed milk and soybean oil.
s. However, in the old days, when machines for producing ice cubes were not popular, the iced milk tea was made by filling the hot milk tea into a glass bottle and then cooling it in a fridge. Sometimes the milk tea were filled in Vitasoy
or Coca-Cola
bottles, and were sold by bottle. Today this type of "bottle milk tea" is rare in Hong Kong. Iced milk tea in cans or plastic bottles can be found in many of the convenience stores around Hong Kong such as 7-Eleven
and Circle K
.
In the case of milk tea with ice cubes, the melting ice will dilute the content, thus affecting the taste of the drink; therefore, many people prefer the old way of preparing iced milk tea. Today, some cha chaan tengs serve ice-less iced milk tea, made by pouring hot milk tea into a plastic cup and then cooling it in a fridge. Another way is to place the cup/bottle into a cold water bath, which is called 冰鎮奶茶. This is often used as a selling point.
Cha chow is milk tea prepared with condensed milk
, instead of evaporated milk
and sugar. Its taste is, as can be expected, sweeter than ordinary milk tea. In the old days, Cha chow was mostly drunk by older people who had "congestion" in their throats.
Milk tea and coffee
together is called yuan yang
(yin yang) (鴛鴦).
A variation on "silk stocking tea" is "silk stocking coffee".
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
consisting of black tea
Black tea
Black tea is a variety of tea that is more oxidized than the oolong, green, and white varieties.All four varieties are made from leaves of the shrub Camellia sinensis. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized teas. Two principal varieties of the...
with evaporated milk
Evaporated milk
Evaporated milk, also known as dehydrated milk, is a shelf-stable canned milk product with about 60% of the water removed from fresh milk. It differs from sweetened condensed milk, which contains added sugar. Sweetened condensed milk requires less processing since the added sugar inhibits ...
or condensed milk
Condensed milk
Condensed milk, also known as sweetened condensed milk, is cow's milk from which water has been removed and to which sugar has been added, yielding a very thick, sweet product which when canned can last for years without refrigeration if unopened. The two terms, condensed milk and sweetened...
. It is usually part of lunch in Hong Kong tea culture
Hong Kong tea culture
The tea-drinking habits of Hong Kong residents derive from Chinese tea culture. After more than 150 years of British rule, however, they have changed somewhat to become unique in the world...
. Although originating from Hong Kong, it is also frequently found overseas in restaurants serving Hong Kong cuisine and Hong Kong-style western cuisine.
Origin
Hong Kong-style milk tea originates from British colonial ruleHistory of Hong Kong
Hong Kong began as a coastal island geographically located off the southern coast of China. While pockets of settlements had taken place in the region with archaeological findings dating back thousands of years, regular written records were not made...
over Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The British practice of afternoon tea, where black tea
Black tea
Black tea is a variety of tea that is more oxidized than the oolong, green, and white varieties.All four varieties are made from leaves of the shrub Camellia sinensis. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized teas. Two principal varieties of the...
is served with milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
and sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, grew popular in Hong Kong. Milk tea is similar, except with evaporated or condensed milk
Condensed milk
Condensed milk, also known as sweetened condensed milk, is cow's milk from which water has been removed and to which sugar has been added, yielding a very thick, sweet product which when canned can last for years without refrigeration if unopened. The two terms, condensed milk and sweetened...
instead of ordinary milk. It is called "milk tea" to distinguish it from "Chinese tea
Chinese tea
The practice of drinking tea has had a long history in China, having originated there. The Chinese drink tea during many parts of the day such as during meals for good health or for simple pleasure.-History:...
" , which is served plain.
Production
Hong Kong-style milk tea is made of a mix of several types of black tea (the proportion of which is usually a "commercial secret" for some milk tea vendors, often Pu LeiPu-erh tea
Pu'er, Pu-erh, Puer, also Po Lei or Bolay is a variety of post-fermented tea produced in Yunnan province, China. Post-fermentation is a tea production style in which the tea leaves undergo a microbial fermentation process after they are dried and rolled. This is a Chinese specialty and is sometimes...
and a type of Ceylon tea), evaporated milk
Evaporated milk
Evaporated milk, also known as dehydrated milk, is a shelf-stable canned milk product with about 60% of the water removed from fresh milk. It differs from sweetened condensed milk, which contains added sugar. Sweetened condensed milk requires less processing since the added sugar inhibits ...
, and sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, the last of which is added by the customers themselves unless in the case of take-away. A variety uses condensed milk
Condensed milk
Condensed milk, also known as sweetened condensed milk, is cow's milk from which water has been removed and to which sugar has been added, yielding a very thick, sweet product which when canned can last for years without refrigeration if unopened. The two terms, condensed milk and sweetened...
instead of milk and sugar, gives the tea a richer feel.
To make the tea, water and tea (about 1 to 3 teaspoons of tea a cup, depending how strong the drinker likes) are brought to a boil then simmered for about 3–6 minutes. The tea is usually put in a sackcloth bag before the water is added to the pot to filter it out or if no bag available poured through a strainer. Many people also remove the pot from the heat once it boils for about 3 minutes, then bring the pot to a boil again. This process can be repeated several times, intensifying the caffeine/flavor.
The key feature of Hong Kong-style milk tea is that a sackcloth bag is used to filter the tea leaves. However any other filter/strainer may be used to filter the tea. Sackcloth bags are not completely necessary but generally preferred. The bag, reputed to make the tea smoother, gradually develops an intense brown colour as a result of prolonged tea drenching. Together with the shape of the filter, it resembles a silk stocking, giving Hong Kong-style milk tea the nickname of "pantyhose" or "silk stocking" milk tea . This nickname is used in Hong Kong but less so in mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
and overseas communities
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
.
There are debates over the authentic way of making milk tea, i.e. the sequence of adding each ingredient. Some people argue that milk should be added before pouring the tea, while some hold the opposite view. Most people do agree that both ways are authentic. In the past, however, milk tea were usually made in the tea-after-milk way. It is said that the cups may break when the tea (which can be as hot as 80–90 degree Celsius) is poured. There is also a saying that the milk is sterilized when the tea is added.
Milk tea is a popular part of many Hong Kongers' daily lives, typically served as part of afternoon tea, but also at breakfast
Breakfast
Breakfast is the first meal taken after rising from a night's sleep, most often eaten in the early morning before undertaking the day's work...
or dinner
Dinner
Dinner is usually the name of the main meal of the day. Depending upon culture, dinner may be the second, third or fourth meal of the day. Originally, though, it referred to the first meal of the day, eaten around noon, and is still occasionally used for a noontime meal, if it is a large or main...
. It enjoys nearly the same ubiquitous status that coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
holds in the West
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
. Whilst not offered by more traditional Cantonese restaurants or dim sum
Dim sum
Dim sum refers to a style of Chinese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates...
teahouses, milk tea is standard fare in Hong Kong-style western restaurants and cha chaan teng
Cha chaan teng
A cha chaan teng means tea diner, also called Chinese diner, is commonly found in Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan, known for its Chinese food, eclectic and affordable menus, which include many dishes from Hong Kong cuisine and Hong Kong-style Western cuisine. Cha chaan tengs are also popular in Macau...
, as well as Hong Kong's historic dai pai dong
Dai pai dong
Dai pai dong is a type of open-air food stall once very popular in Hong Kong. The government registration name in Hong Kong is "cooked-food stalls", but dai pai dong literally means "restaurant with a big license plate", referring to its size of license which is bigger than other licensed street...
, with a price between HKD$8–$12 (hot, one or two dollars more for cold). A cup of hot milk tea is usually either served in a ceramic cup (often referred to as a "coffee cup" 咖啡杯) or a tall cylindrical plastic glass.
In contrast, some expatriate Westerners and tourists may not hold milk tea in as high regard. The 2006 edition of the Rough Guide to Hong Kong and Macau compares the local milk tea unfavourably with "proper" English tea served in more formal Western cafes and hotels such as the Peninsula Hotel
The Peninsula Hong Kong
The Peninsula Hong Kong is one of the most internationally recognizable hotels in Hong Kong. Opened in 1928, it is Hong Kong's most historical hotel. It is located at the junction of Nathan Road and Salisbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong...
, citing different cultural preferences. In the Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is the largest travel guide book and digital media publisher in the world. The company is owned by BBC Worldwide, which bought a 75% share from the founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler in 2007 and the final 25% in February 2011...
World Food Hong Kong, traditional Chinese tea
Chinese tea
The practice of drinking tea has had a long history in China, having originated there. The Chinese drink tea during many parts of the day such as during meals for good health or for simple pleasure.-History:...
and high teas in hotels are favoured over milk tea, which is not mentioned at all.
Criteria for quality milk tea
The first criterion of a good cup of milk tea is its "smoothness" (香滑); in other words, how creamy and full-bodied it is.Another criterion for tasty milk tea (and also bubble tea
Bubble tea
Bubble tea is the name for pearl milk tea and other similar tea and juice beverages that originated in tea shops in Taichung, Taiwan during the 1980s. Drink recipes may vary, but most bubble teas contain a tea base mixed with fruit and/or milk...
) is some white frothy residue inside the lip of the cup after some of it has been drunk. This white froth means that the concentration of butterfat
Butterfat
Butterfat or milkfat is the fatty portion of milk. Milk and cream are often sold according to the amount of butterfat they contain.- Composition :The fatty acids of butterfat are typically composed as follows :...
in the evaporated milk used is high enough.
The taste and texture of 'Hong Kong' style milk tea might be influenced by the milk used. For example, some Hong Kong cafés prefer using a filled milk
Filled milk
Filled milk is skim milk that has been reconstituted with fats, usually vegetable oils, from sources other than dairy cows and only exists as evaporated milk. Like pure evaporated milk, filled milk is generally considered unsuitable for drinking because of its particular flavor, but is equivalent...
variant, meaning it is not purely evaporated milk (as with most retail brands) but a combination of skimmed milk and soybean oil.
Varieties
Today, iced milk tea is usually prepared with ice cubeIce cube
Ice cubes are small, roughly cube-shaped pieces of ice, conventionally used to cool beverages. Ice cubes are often preferred over crushed ice because they melt more slowly; they are standard in mixed drinks that call for ice, in which case the drink is said to be "on the rocks."Ice cubes are...
s. However, in the old days, when machines for producing ice cubes were not popular, the iced milk tea was made by filling the hot milk tea into a glass bottle and then cooling it in a fridge. Sometimes the milk tea were filled in Vitasoy
Vitasoy
Vitasoy is a brand of beverages and desserts in Hong Kong. Founded in 1940, it now operates under the Vitasoy International Holdings Limited based in Hong Kong....
or Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
bottles, and were sold by bottle. Today this type of "bottle milk tea" is rare in Hong Kong. Iced milk tea in cans or plastic bottles can be found in many of the convenience stores around Hong Kong such as 7-Eleven
7-Eleven
7-Eleven is part of an international chain of convenience stores, operating under Seven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd, which in turn is owned by Seven & I Holdings Co...
and Circle K
Circle K
Circle K is an international chain of convenience stores, founded in 1951, in El Paso, Texas, United States. It is owned and operated by the Canadian-based Alimentation Couche-Tard.-Overview:...
.
In the case of milk tea with ice cubes, the melting ice will dilute the content, thus affecting the taste of the drink; therefore, many people prefer the old way of preparing iced milk tea. Today, some cha chaan tengs serve ice-less iced milk tea, made by pouring hot milk tea into a plastic cup and then cooling it in a fridge. Another way is to place the cup/bottle into a cold water bath, which is called 冰鎮奶茶. This is often used as a selling point.
Cha chow is milk tea prepared with condensed milk
Condensed milk
Condensed milk, also known as sweetened condensed milk, is cow's milk from which water has been removed and to which sugar has been added, yielding a very thick, sweet product which when canned can last for years without refrigeration if unopened. The two terms, condensed milk and sweetened...
, instead of evaporated milk
Evaporated milk
Evaporated milk, also known as dehydrated milk, is a shelf-stable canned milk product with about 60% of the water removed from fresh milk. It differs from sweetened condensed milk, which contains added sugar. Sweetened condensed milk requires less processing since the added sugar inhibits ...
and sugar. Its taste is, as can be expected, sweeter than ordinary milk tea. In the old days, Cha chow was mostly drunk by older people who had "congestion" in their throats.
Milk tea and coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
together is called yuan yang
Yuanyang (drink)
Yuanyang or Coffee with tea is a popular beverage in Hong Kong, made of a mixture of coffee and Hong Kong-style milk tea...
(yin yang) (鴛鴦).
A variation on "silk stocking tea" is "silk stocking coffee".
External links
- Recipe of HK Style Milk Tea, and Yuanyang
- Recipe of Hong Kong Style Milk Tea, Teas.com.au
- Hong Kong Milk Tea in Central
- Step by Step Guide on How to make Hong Kong Style Milk Tea How to make "silk stocking" milk tea, Apple DailyApple DailyApple Daily is a Hong-Kong-based tabloid-style newspaper founded in 1995 by Jimmy Lai Chee Ying and is published by its company, Next Media. A sister publication carrying the same name is published in Taiwan, Republic of China under a joint venture between Next Media and other Taiwanese companies...
The origin of "silk stocking" milk tea, Apple Daily - Association of Coffee & Tea Hong Kong