Teh tarik is a hot Malaysian tea

Tea

Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...

 beverage which can be commonly found in restaurants, outdoor stalls and kopi tiam

Kopi tiam

咖啡店A kopitiam or kopi tiam is a traditional breakfast and coffee shop found in Southeast Asia. The word is a portmanteau of the Malay word for coffee and the Hokkien dialect word for shop...

s in southeastern Asian country such as Malaysia. Its name is derived from the pouring process of "pulling" the drink during preparation. It is made from 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...

 and 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...

.

Preparation

The mixture is poured back and forth repeatedly between two vessels from a height, giving it a thick frothy top. This process cools the process fluid (tea) to optimal drinking temperatures, and helps to thoroughly mix the tea with the condensed milk. It is also done to give the tea a better flavor. This is often compared to the decantering of toddy to improve the flavor function. If a Malaysian customer wanted to order a high-quality teh tarik, they would say "Teh tarik satu!" which translates as "One teh tarik!".

Culture

An element of showmanship exists in the preparation of teh tarik. The ability to drag a long stream of tea above the heads of the patrons without giving them a shower is an amusing novelty for the locals and tourists alike.

In Malaysia, there are occasions where teh tarik brewers gather for competitions and performances to show their skills. Teh tarik has become recognised along with nasi lemak

Nasi lemak

Nasi lemak is a dish sold in Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Riau Islands and Southern Thailand. The dish is considered the national dish and a national heritage of Malaysia. It is not to be confused with Nasi Dagang sold on the east coast of Malaysia or Terengganu and Kelantan although both dishes...

as part of the food and beverage heritage of Malaysia by the Malaysian government ministry.

Variations

• Kopi Quah, pulled kopi which is found in BSS, Semenyih.
• Teh halia
  Teh halia
  Teh halia is a tea beverage that is commonly consumed in Malaysia and Singapore. It is prepared like English tea with milk although it contains the added ingredient of ginger...
  
  , ginger tea which is also found in various coffee shops.
• White Coffee
  White coffee
  White coffee can refer to any of a number of coffee or herbal tea beverages worldwide.- Coffee with whitener :In many English-speaking countries, "white coffee" is used to refer to regular black coffee that has had milk, cream or some other "whitener" added to it, though the term is almost entirely...
  
  , coffee from fresh bean which taste origin and refreshing from AikCheong, Malaka

See also

• Kopi tarik, the coffee equivalent of teh tarik.