Easy Homemade Thai Iced Tea Recipe | Savoring The Good® (2024)

FAQs

What is Thai iced tea made of? ›

Thai Tea is is made from strongly-brewed black tea, often spiced with ingredients such as star anise, crushed tamarind, cardamom, and occasionally others as well (often making this beverage a favorite among masala chai tea fans). This brew is then sweetened with sugar and sweetened condensed milk, and served over ice.

Sweetened condensed milk, or evaporated milk mixed with sugar, is added to Thai tea before chilling it. This gives it a creamy layer on top. Generally, you'll detect earthy undertones, nutty overtones, and a punch of sweetness.

Like many forms of herbal tea, Thai tea is rich in antioxidants that can help you maintain a healthy immune system. Studies have shown that Thai tea has similar levels of antioxidants as green tea and other herbal teas popularized specifically for their anti-inflammatory benefits.

Furthermore, to make Thai iced tea, the leaves are steeped longer, for a stronger cup - this can also impact the level of caffeine in your cup. So, a great Thai tea could contain anywhere from 20-60 mg of caffeine, depending on how it is prepared. Whole, condensed, or evaporated milk won't add any caffeine.

Over-steeping tea means that you let it soak in the water for too long. The result of over-steeping is a darker than usual tea liquid as well as a sharp, bitter flavor.

Thai Iced Tea is not chai at all, but this Thai take on tea is similar in regard to it's creaminess. But the spice assortment here is different, and way toned down. Thai Tea is relatively mellow.

Thai Tea and Milk Tea are both iced black tea brewed with sweet spices and served with sweetened condensed milk. Thai tea has a distinct bright orange color while milk tea is light brown. Both varieties of iced tea can be customized with dairy or non-dairy milks and varying levels of sweetness.

If your tea tastes too weak, make it stronger by adding 1 to 2 tablespoons more tea mix to each cup of boiling water. It's easier to weaken strong tea than to make weak tea stronger later - so add less water during steeping and if the resulting tea tastes too strong, add water to dilute to the strength you desire.

As much as I despise my quick sugar pick-me-ups, I absolutely cannot stand that I am ingesting dye when giving into these cravings. (FYI, FD & C Yellow No. 6, the dye that gives Thai Iced Tea its orange hue is a petroleum based dye and banned or restricted as a food additive in Norway, Finland and Sweden.)

The tea is sweetened with sugar and condensed milk and served chilled. Evaporated milk, or whole milk is poured over the tea and ice before serving to add taste and creamy appearance.

What gives Thai iced tea its color? ›

Thai tea leaves are black tea leaves, commonly assam tea, that has had artificial flavour added to it, most commonly vanilla. The iconic orange colour is nothing but orange food colouring.

Indulgent & smooth - blending ice and strongly brewed black tea with spices, finished with condensed milk and evaporated milk.

According to the January 2017 study in ​Food Science & Nutrition​, a 16-ounce serving of Thai milk tea has 263 calories and 38 grams of sugar. The study notes that adding boba and other ingredients to your tea can add to the calorie content.

Food coloring. The bright, unique color of Thai Iced Tea comes from food coloring added to black tea in Thai Tea Mix. On its own, the brewed tea is deep red. Stir in sweetened condensed milk (or another type of milk), and the tea turns orange.

Thai Iced Tea is commonly sold from street and market stalls in Thailand and is made with three simple ingredients - tea, sugar and your cream of choice. Want to turn your Thai Tea into Bubble Tea or Boba Tea? Just add tapioca pearls!

Thai iced tea is made with black tea (Ceylon/Assam). One cup of Ceylon or Assam tea has 50-90mg of caffeine. Since Thai iced tea mixes tea with milk, sugar, condensed milk and other ingredient, a cup of Thai iced tea may contain 20-60mg of caffeine.