What Does Thai Milk Tea Taste Like? (And How To Make It)

Thai milk tea is another one of those delicious Asian drinks that have become popular in various parts of the world. But what exactly is Thai milk tea?

What does Thai milk tea taste like? The main ingredients in Thai milk tea are black Thai tea mixture or Ceylon tea, condensed milk and/or regular milk, and sugar. Hence, traditional Thai milk tea is quite sweet, with earthy and nutty notes coming from Thai tea. 

This article includes everything you should know about Thai milk tea, its ingredients, variations, taste, and if it’s healthy or not.

We have also included instructions for making traditional Thai milk tea at home. Read on to learn how to make hot and cold Thai milk tea, as well as a hot Thai milk latte! 

What Is Thai Milk Tea?

Thai milk tea, also known as Thai tea for short, is a drink featuring a combination of black tea, milk, and sugar. Cold-served Thai tea milk tea is most popular. And while Thai milk tea is very popular in Asia, its popularity has spread beyond it.

Today, many restaurants and cafes serve Thai milk tea in various parts of the world. 

Aside from classic Thai milk tea, cold Thai tea has 2 other variations: dark Thai milk tea served cold and lime Thai tea. 

Dark Thai tea doesn’t contain any milk. It is sweetened with sugar and chilled with ice. The primary ingredient for dark Thai tea is Indian tea. 

Lime Thai tea, as the name implies, contains lime. Similar to dark Thai tea, lime Thai tea doesn’t contain any milk products either.

What you’ll need to make lime Thai tea are tea leaves, water sugar, lime, and ice. For the bright citrus flavor, don’t just add lime into the tea but squeeze it into the drink. 

You can also add mint into your lime Thai tea as mint pairs nicely with lime. 

What Is Thai Milk Tea Made Of? 

Thai milk tea is made of a few staple ingredients: 

Thai Tea

To make Thai milk tea that is close to authentic you need to use Thai tea. Thai tea mixes are usually a blend of black tea and different spices.

It may come in a loose-leaf variety or in bags. If you want to make the process of brewing Thai tea easier, buy tea that comes in sachets or bags. 

Milk 

Thai milk tea has a creamy texture thanks to the milk used in it. Different types of milk can be used for Thai milk tea.

You can use evaporated milk or whole milk. To keep it vegan, it is best to use coconut milk, though almond milk may work too. 

Condensed milk is another type of milk used in the making of Thai milk tea. It sweetens the drink while also adding a milky flavor. 

Half and half is also a good option for a creamy Thai milk tea. 

Sugar

Sugar is the sweetener used in Thai milk tea. You can adjust the amount of sugar considering how sweet you like your drink to be. 

To make your Thai milk tea healthier, you can substitute the sugar in it with pure maple syrup. You can also substitute the sugar in Thai milk tea with a sugar-free sweetener to make the drink keto-friendly. 

Spices 

Spices are what give Thai milk tea its unique flavor. Star anise, cardamom, crushed tamarind seeds are some of the most popular used spices for Thai milk tea.

Aside from the spices, Thai milk tea may also include orange blossom water. This is an essential oil made from the blossoms of the bitter orange tree. It adds a touch of orange brightness and pleasant tanginess to the drink. 

Depending on the Thai tea variety you are making, you may need more ingredients or may need any milk at all. 

Other ingredients you may add to your Thai milk tea include vanilla ice cream, whipped cream as a topping, boba pearls for added texture, etc. 

What Does Thai Milk Tea Taste Like?

If you have never had Thai milk tea, expect it to be sweet unless you won’t have any sugar or condensed milk added to it. 

In general, though, Thai milk tea is sweeter than most other brewed teas. Also, Thai tea has earthy and nutty undertones. So, expect to get those too in your drink. 

Thai milk tea is also creamy thanks to the milk products used to make it. Depending on the type of milk used to make Thai milk tea, the overall flavor of tea may slightly vary. 

Different spices and syrups added to the drink affect its flavor too. 

Why Is Thai Milk Tea Orange?

Thai milk tea has a distinctive orange color. But where does it come from? 

The bright orange color is one of the main characteristics of Thai milk tea. In the majority of the cases, it comes from the food coloring that is mixed into Thai tea mixes. 

However, even if you are making Thai milk tea with strong-brewed Ceylon tea, the drink will take on an orange color as you pour in the milk. But it won’t be as bright as the orange color achieved through food coloring. 

Can You Drink Thai Milk Tea Hot?

Thai tea with lots of ice is what most people like. But in case you prefer hot drinks, Thai hot tea is the variety you should try. 

Thai tea served hot can be made of milk and sugar. There is also dark Thai hot tea. The difference between regular Thai hot tea and the dark variety is that the latter doesn’t contain any milk products. 

Like Thai hot tea, dark Thai hot tea is also sweetened with sugar. 

How Is Thai Milk Tea Served?

Thai restaurants serve Thai milk tea in tall glasses, with ice and a straw. If you get it from street drinks stalls, it will obviously come in plastic cups. 

Hot Thai milk tea is often served in the morning. It is enjoyed with pathongko. These are deep-fried strips of dough that go as a dessert with a cup of hot Thai tea. 

Thai milk tea is usually quite sweet. So, you may not even crave dessert to go with it. Additionally, it’s not good from the health perspective to pair a sugar-rich drink with a dessert. 

What Is the Difference Between Thai Milk Tea and Milk Tea?

Thai milk tea and milk tea are similar in terms of the ingredients used to make them. Both teas are made with tea and milk. So, what makes them different?

Milk tea is a general term for this beverage found in different cultures. Any drink that contains milk and tea as the base ingredients can be referred to as milk tea.

However, the methods of preparation, types of tea, and milk used may differ. 

Additionally, the type of sweetener used to sweeten milk tea can be different. From sugar to honey and various syrups, you can use whatever sweetener you like with your milk tea.

You can also purchase instant milk tea powder and make milk tea within seconds, without even needing to brew tea. 

Thai milk tea, on the other hand, has a set of specific ingredients used to make it. If you want to keep it authentic, the types of tea you should use to make Thai milk tea should be either strong Ceylon tea or Thai tea mix. 

Unlike Thai milk tea that has a couple of variations all of which use strong brew black tea as a base. 

There are numerous variations of milk tea, such as British tea served with milk, Burmese style milk tea that call for evaporated and condensed milk, salty Mongolian milk tea, Indian masala chai, etc. 

Is Thai Milk Tea Healthy?

We all know that tea is healthy. But Thai milk tea contains a few added ingredients that plain tea doesn’t. 

Condensed milk and refined sugar, in particular, are the two ingredients that make Thai milk tea not as healthy as we would want it to be. They add calories and if consumed in high amounts may lead to multiple health issues. 

How healthy Thai milk tea is and how many calories it contains largely depends on how the tea is made, what are the ingredients, and how much sugar is added to it.

For the healthiest version of Thai milk tea, you might want to drink it unsweetened, without any condensed milk or sugar. Alternatively, you may go for sugar-free sweeteners. 

But if you are drinking authentic Thai milk tea, know that it is much higher in calories than regular black tea. Any add-ons the tea may have, such as boba pearls or whipped cream, further increase the calories of the drink. 

With this said, Thai tea taken separately is a very healthy tea variety. It is rich in antioxidants and can have a positive impact on your immune system. 

Does Thai Milk Tea Have Caffeine? 

Tea, as you may already know, contains caffeine. The caffeine content in Thai milk tea may vary depending on the type of tea it is made with. A cup of black tea contains around 50 mg of caffeine. 

Ceylon tea, the most popular black tea variety used to make Thai milk tea, may contain 14-61 mg of caffeine per cup depending on the variety.

Thai tea calls for strongly brewed tea. And the longer the tea brews the higher is the caffeine content. 

But we should not forget that traditional Thai tea is a combination of tea and milk. And the ratio of milk to tea is quite high. So, you are not consuming a lot of caffeine.

You may get 20-40 mg of caffeine in your Thai milk tea. The caffeine content may be higher depending on the tea to milk ratio. 

If you avoid caffeinated drinks, you don’t have to give up on Thai milk tea. Simply make it with decaffeinated black tea. 

How To Make Thai Milk Tea

Making Thai milk tea is certainly different from brewing a cup of regular tea using tea bags. But there is nothing overly complicated in doing it either. 

Here is how to make the 2 variations of Thai milk tea: cold Thai milk tea and hot Thai milk.

Cold Thai Milk Tea

Making delicious cold Thai milk tea is not difficult. It does take more time than making regular cold tea or coffee but the result is certainly worth it. Here is how to do it. 

1. Start with boiling some water. 
2. When the water comes to a boil, remove it from heat and combine it with Thai tea mix. Use a 1/2 cup of tea mix for every 6 cups of water. 
3. While the water is hot, stir in some sugar. You can skip it if you want to, but traditional Thai milk tea is quite sweet. So, add a 1/3 cup of granulated white sugar into six cups of water. 
4. Cover the mixture and let it steep for 15 minutes. The longer you let the mixture sit the stronger it will be. 
5. Strain the tea and allow it to cool. When the tea cools, you can drink it right away or store it in the fridge for up to 7 days. 
6. To make Thai milk tea, put some ice in a glass. Pour over the tea. 
7. Next, stir in some condensed milk. Start with a tablespoon of condensed milk and add more to make your tea as sweet as you like it. If you want to avoid the sugar in condensed milk, you can replace it with cow’s milk or coconut milk. 

Hot Thai Milk Tea

To make hot Thai tea, you need to steam Thai tea mixture like regular. But you need to use it while it is still hot. 

For a simple hot Thai milk tea, add 2-3 tablespoons of condensed milk to the bottom of your teacup. Then, pour over the hot tea. Give it a little stir and your hot Thai milk tea is ready. 

Thai Tea Latte

If you prefer hot Thai tea over cold Thai milk, then you will enjoy a Thai tea latte too. Here is how to make a hot Thai tea latte.

1. Bring water to a boil. 
2. Add Thai tea mix into the hot water. Cover and let it steep for 10-15 minutes. 
3. Strain the tea. 
4. Add 2 tablespoons of condensed milk into your mug. Top it with equal amounts of evaporated milk. While you can use regular milk too, evaporated milk will make your latte creamier and richer. 
5. Pour in a cup of hot Thai tea.
6. Warm up and froth a 1/2 cup of milk. Use the milk froth to top your hot Thai milk tea to give it a signature latte look. 

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