Milk tea, or the "tea latte," has
moved from India to East Asia to America, and now
joins with the European tradition of tea with milk.
Tea with Milk: Whether you add tea to your cup tea first or last is up to
you. Some argue that if you add milk last, you have better control
over the amount, but
others say that milk protects fine porcelain cups from
cracking when the tea is poured, and the flavor of the milk is enhanced
when the hot tea hits and scalds the milk. You be
the judge. Just don’t add milk to green or oolong
teas. Two-percent or whole milk is best. Cream is
not good with tea, as the milk fats interact
adversely with tea tannins.
Chai: In India, all tea is called "chai." The most common method of brewing
Indian chai involves tossing tea leaves (usually broken
Assam tea or
CTC
tea) into a kettle of boiling water, simmering for a few minutes, adding milk
and sugar, and once the milk boils, removing from the stove and
straining
into a pre-warmed teapot or mug. Indian chai sold by chai wallahs
at train stations is usually made this way, and is
very strong, milky, and sweet. The unglazed clay cup
used for serving is then tossed from the train as
you travel down the line.
Masala Chai: What Americans call chai,
should actually be called “masala chai, ” or "spiced
tea." This recipe is the same as the chai recipe
above, but
with the addition of spices such as cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, black
pepper, and so on. Many families in India have their own recipe,
and grind fresh spices at home. Supermarkets now sell pre-mixed concentrates of masala chai that
you add milk to and heat in a kettle or the microwave. Chai is also very
popular in American coffeehouses, although usually
made too sweet. Try our
Masala Chai blend.
Tea Latte: The tea latte probably started in
Japan and spread to America. Usually a strong black
tea is mixed with steamed milk and sugar, plus flavored syrups,
such as almond and vanilla. Be careful that the syrup flavor doesn’t overpower the taste of
the tea. You can also brew up some flavored black tea and add hot milk or boil the whole concoction as in
the first recipe.
Milk Tea Recipes
Recipe #1: Make a tea concentrate by doubling
the amount of black tea leaf and brew a mug, or a
half or full pot of tea. Fill pre-heated mug 2/3
full of brewed tea, add hot milk, and sweeten. Full bodied teas, such as our
Assam Blend,
English
Breakfast, Irish
Breakfast or
Africa Morning are
ideal.
Recipe #2: Add 1 heaping teaspoon dry tea leaf to
1 cup boiling water in saucepan and simmer for 1-
2 min. Add a little less than one cup of milk to tea
mixture. When
milk comes to a boil, remove saucepan from stove immediately and strain the
“milk tea” into your cup, mug, or pre-heated teapot.
Sweeten heavily!
Recommended for Milk Teas:
Assam Blend
Organic Assam CTC
Irish
Breakfast House Blend
English
Breakfast Ceylon
Masala Chai
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