I was introduced to Hong Kong-style milk tea way before I had ever had coffee. My family ate in Hong Kong-style cafes, where almost everybody had a steaming mug of sweet, strongly caffeinated milk tea in front of them to go with any meal, from breakfast to dinner. If you’ve ever had bubble tea (also known as boba tea), milk tea is one of the most common drinks to order with the chewy tapioca balls.
Hong Kong-style milk tea is usually made with a combination of canned evaporated and condensed milk, but I figured out how to make this strong, sweet brew without any canned products at all. It takes a little bit of time, but the amazing flavor is worth it. In fact, it’s so good I made two batches of it in one week!
What is milk tea?
Milk tea is a very generic term for tea with some kind of milk product in it. Many cultures have some form of milk tea, which can range from just a splash of milk poured into tea, to one where the milk is a significant portion of the tea. This is a recipe for Hong Kong-style milk tea, which is a strongly brewed, creamy, and sweet black tea that can be served hot or cold over ice.
3 Tips for Making Milk Tea
- Use the widest saucepan you have. The milk tea base will reduce the quickest in a wide saucepan, so use the largest, widest one you have.
- Monitor the base while it’s cooking. While you want the milk tea base to cook down as quickly as possible at a brisk simmer, keep an eye on it, as it can bubble over quickly. Give it a whisk every 10 minutes or so to keep the bottom from burning.
- Don’t skip the blending. You might be tempted to just whisk the milk tea base and tea together, but blending it is important to really help the two parts emulsify and not separate.
How to Serve Leftover Milk Tea
Leftover milk tea keeps very well for a few days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop, or serve over ice instead when you want a jolt of caffeine and something sweet. Whether you go hot or cold, you should still give the milk tea a whisk first, as a layer of milk solids will float to the top upon refrigeration but will quickly reincorporate.Milk Tea
Makes 4 1/2 cups; serves 4
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 cups water
- 12 black tea bags or 1/2 cup loose-leaf black tea, preferably Ceylon (also known as orange pekoe)
- Ice, if serving cold
Make the milk base:
1. Place 2 cups whole milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a large saucepan (the wider, the better). Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Reduce the heat as needed to maintain a brisk simmer. Cook, whisking and scraping down the sides of the saucepan with a flexible spatula every 5 minutes, until reduced to 1 cup, 35 to 60 minutes (a wider saucepan will be faster). The mixture will be thickened to the consistency of gravy and slightly darker (it will not be perfectly smooth). Meanwhile, make the tea.
Make the tea:
1. Bring 5 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 12 black tea bags or 1/2 cup loose-leaf black tea. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Take the saucepan off the heat and let the tea steep for 10 minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium heatproof bowl. Gently press on the tea leaves or tea bags with a spoon to release as much liquid as possible; discard the tea bags or leaves.
3. When the milk base is ready, transfer it to a blender, making sure to scrape the mixture from the sides of the saucepan into the blender; blend on low speed until smooth. Add the tea and blend again on low speed until smooth. To serve hot, pour back into a clean saucepan and reheat over medium heat if desired. To serve cold, refrigerate until chilled, rewhisk or reblend, and pour over ice.
Recipe notes: Let the milk tea cool to barely warm, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to five days. Serve chilled or reheat over medium heat, whisking to recombine as needed.
