If you are a fan of Thai restaurants, there is a good chance you have at least seen Thai iced tea.
If you have ever tasted it, you know how addictive it can be.
Thai tea is not traditionally Thai.
Tea didn’t really become common in Thailand until the 1980s when it was brought over from China and became a street food staple.
Since Thai tea isn’t traditional, there isn’t a single “authentic” recipe for Thai tea.
Some recipes are basically black tea with the aroma of vanilla.
Other versions are heavily spiced to the point of being indiscernible from Masala Chai, which is definitely an Indian beverage.
Thai Tea is VERY Sweet
The one commonality in all versions of Thai tea, especially those served to westerners, is that it is very sweet.
The tea is sweetened, and then topped with sweetened condensed milk.
Another element common to most varieties of Thai tea is its distinctive orange color.
The interesting thing about this is that it isn’t a natural element of the tea.
When Thai restaurants started serving their tea in the late twentieth century, chefs would add orange food coloring to make the drink seem more vibrant.
This marketing ploy worked, and westerners enamored with Thai culture became convinced that the orange hue was a mark of authenticity.
Thai teas can be made many different ways.
Some use black tea leaves, and steep them with spices, like cardamom and black pepper.
Other varieties use a simple water added mix.
Regardless of whether you are making it with mix or leaf tea, after steeping, the tea is sweetened and poured over crushed ice.
The glass of tea is then topped with a creamy element, either half and half or sweetened condensed milk.
You can then stir and enjoy.
As you can imagine, adding sweetened condensed milk to an already sweetened tea makes for a very sweet beverage.
This means that Thai iced tea works as well as a dessert as it does as a beverage.
One of the most refreshing aspects of Thai iced tea is its creamy sweetness.
As many thai dishes can be very spicy for the western palate, the sugar and fattiness of the cream can act as a cooling element when pairing with traditional Thai food.
The spice element that is added to Thai iced tea can be customized to your own preferences if you are making it at home from black tea.
This means you can choose spices to pair with whatever dishes you are serving your Thai iced tea alongside.
Sweetened condensed milk is a very western ingredient that became popular in colonized areas of the world in the twentieth century.
When appealing to western markets, it became a go-to ingredient to add.
Since Thai iced tea was developed in the last thirty or so years, the flavors are specifically created to attract western palates.
The overbearing sweetness can be tamped when making it at home by using half and half, mixing half and half with the condensed milk to dilute it, or by not sweetening the tea before adding the milk.
Thai iced tea is traditionally served over crushed ice, giving it an almost slushy like consistency with the addition of the condensed milk.
This makes it perfect for a refreshing treat on a hot day, with or without food.
In summary, Thai iced tea is a perfectly refreshing flavor combination, whether it is authentically Thai or not.
The flavors represent traditional Thai flavor elements, and pair well with Thai food, so why not enjoy it as a part of the modern Thai experience, whether you are in Thailand, in a Thai restaurant, or in the comfort of your own home!
Author Bio: Larry Alton is a blogger and passionate writer at http://managerteams.com/. He loves cooking and is fond of traveling.