Thai Tea – Los Angeles [USA], September 3 (ANI): If you are a tea lover, then the colourful Thai milk would have definitely captured your fancy. With its mix of bold black tea, spices and sweetened condensed milk, Thai tea delivers a rich but creamy iced-beverage that’s hard to pass up. This blog post will focus on the history of Thai tea, types and recipes, differences between them in more details as well as health benefits.
The Traditional And Historical Origins Of Thai Tea
Thai tea, knows as “Cha Yen” in Thai, is iconic to the cuisine and culture of Thailand. Its roots can be dated back to the 20st century when Thailand first imported tea from China. As the centuries passed, so did the practice of adapting tea by adding spices and other sweeteners to creating a local version that would better suit their palates, which is what we now know as Thai Tea. This sweet drink became an instant hit and was even sold by street food vendors all over the country.
The bright orange color of Thai tea has led many to believe it is colored, but some use a small number of spices like turmeric or cumin seed. Even before its color became widespread, Thai tea’s distinct taste and ability to cool off resulted it in being a favored choice both in Thailand as well as abroad.
Key Ingredients
Thai tea is infused with a potent mix of ingredients creating the taste. Here is a list of the main drugs:
Strong black tea, such as Assam and Ceylon (recipe below) It has strong, bold flavor profile that can really hold its own against the spices and sweetness.
Spices: Normally you will find some spices like cardamom, star anise to be used in combination with cooked tea leaves and sometimes tamarind in traditional Thai Tea. These spices bring in another dimension and layer of flavor to your cup, but it takes a lot more effort.
Flavorings: This is an important flavoring for Thai tea which provides the richness, creaminess and sweetness from condensed milk. Other recipes add evaporated milk and/or sugar in addition to regular.
Orange: Most store-bought Thai tea mixes use food coloring to get that signature orange hue. But there are other natural alternatives that can produce a similar desirable effect, like turmeric or saffron.
Preparation Methods
Thai tea is easy to make at home, and the rewards are amazing. How to Make Authentic Thai Tea in 8 Steps
Ingredients:
4 cups water
4 tablespoons Thai tea mix, or black tea leaves
2-3 star anise pods
1-2 cardamom pods (optional)
2 tbsp tamarind powder, to taste
1 cucharada sweetened condensed milk
1/4 milk, evaporated or whole
Sugar to taste
Ice cubes
Instructions:
Bring water to a boil: In medium-sized pot, bring the water to a rolling boil.
Combine Tea and Spices: Add the Thai tea mix, or black tea leaves to boiling water. If using whole spices, add the star anise (if you want), green cardamoms with husk and/or tamarind powder if adding at this stage. Turn the heat way down and let everything simmer for at least 5 minutes.
Strain the Tea: Remove tea pot from heat and strain out a fine mesh sieve or through cheesecloth to get close all of those leaves and spices.
Add sweetness to the tea: While hot, add sweetened condensed milk and stir well until all has dissolved. Sample the oolong and decide if additional sugar is required.
Chill and Serve: Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Serve filled glasses with ice and pour served tea over the ice cubes. Serve with a drizzle of evaporated milk, or whole milk for extra creamy goodness.
Serve: Optionally, serve with a star anise pod or sprinkle of ground cardamom. Cheers to homemade Thai tea full of flavor and freshness!
Variations of Thai Tea
While the traditional Thai tea is something of a cult favorite, there are numerous twists on this classic preparation.
Glass: Thai iced coffee is even a style of Thai tea, however geared up the usage of filtered caramel-coloured robust brewed espresso as opposed to black bloom. It is spiced the same way and sweetened with a can of condensed milk making for an irresistible, creamy coffee iced.
Green Tea Photo, but if you drag a green tea leaf in the water instead of dropping Black Teamnoccy Photo Infused with jasmine flower for a floral taste, the green tea All prepared traditionally, and served-Thai iced tea-style.
Dairy Free Vegan Thai Tea: To keep it vegan, sub in coconut milk or almond milk and use agave instead of sweetened condensed.
Thai Tea Latte: This is a hot version that mixes brewed Thai tea with steamed milk, in the same way you would make if it were any kind of latte. If you love traditional Thai iced tea but prefer a hot drink, this is the way to go.
Health Benefits of Thai Tea
Thai tea – just like any other tea has its pros and con when used infrequently. Some of the main benefits include:
Antioxidants: Black tea, the foundation of Thai tea is high in antioxidants like polyphenols and catechins. All of which serve to protect the body from free radicals, contribute to a decreased risk for chronic disease.
Better for Digestion: Spices like star anise and cardamom that are used in Thai tea promote good digestion. They help relates to all the complaints of bloating, indigestion and other gastrointestinal problems.
Increased Energy: The caffeine levels from black tea offer more of a smooth clean energy inducing alertness and focus without the jitters you can get from coffee.
Black tea is associated with better heart health in that it prevents your system from harm. Black tea contains antioxidants that helps lower LDL cholesterol and hence protect you against heart diseases.
Black tea could be good for your bones, consuming compounds in this beverage can improve bone density and strength which reduce the risk of fractures. This is particularly important as you age.
Cultural Reference & International Following
The Thai tea drink is a new and unique innovation that attracts people to try it from all over the world, so its quite popular today. It is frequently consumed with meals because of its refreshing qualities, and the sweet lusciousness helps offset many spicier dishes. Also, a favorite street food drink, the plastic bags are perfect for carrying around and drinking on-the-go in Thailand.
For the past few years, Thai tea has hit international headlines besides being a staple in restaurants and teahouses mushrooming globally. This has only made it more likable to the global population as its color is vibrant and taste so new that social media page owners love providing information about.
Fun Facts About Thai Tea
The Appearance of Color: Thai tea is unique in it’s neon orange color. The people of Thailand believe that the bright color brings good luck and prosperity, as per traditional Thai culture.
Street Food Staple: Thai tea is often a lot; served by a street vendor in plastic bags with straw – Thailand the easy to carry packaging is ready for you on the go.
Thai tea also can be a versatile ingredient, whether it’s ice cream, cake or cocktails. Its special taste can give a dish an exotic touch.
King of Drinks: Thai tea can be described as the king of all drinks in Thailand Those together with his brothers are Cha Manao (Lime Iced Tea) and Nim Ma too the bael fruit tree.
Conclusion
Thai tea is a wonderful and culturally significant beverage that has the ability to treat your taste buds with its combination of flavor, rich & creamy. The combination of black tea, spices and sweeteners delivers a refreshing yet indulgent taste. A delicious glass of traditional Thai iced tea, a cool twist on the classic made from scratch or sipping vegan version or hot and warm experience via your cup in this rich Thailand recipe will transport you to flavorful world with each sip.StatusOK
It is only after you come to learn about the history, ingredients and styles of preparation that go into this beverage do all its elaborate charm fully settle in. Make a cup for yourself, savor it to the last drop and dive into this amazing world of Thai tea. Cheers to your tea journey!
