Thai tea facts for kids
Thai tea is a popular drink from Thailand. It's usually made from a special kind of black tea, mixed with milk and sugar. You can enjoy Thai tea either hot or cold. It's very popular in Southeast Asia and is often served in restaurants that offer Thai food.
When Thai tea is served cold, it's called Thai iced tea (ชาเย็น, which means cold tea). While most people think of Thai iced tea when they hear "Thai tea," there are other types too. For example, some traditional Thai herbal teas are also called Thai tea. There's even a Thai Oolong tea, which is Oolong tea steamed with ginger, lemongrass, and celery.
What's in Thai Tea?
This tasty drink is made from strongly brewed Ceylon tea. Sometimes, a local type of Assam tea called bai miang (ใบเมี่ยง) is used instead.
The tea gets its sweet flavor from sugar and condensed milk. It's usually served chilled over ice. Before serving, evaporated milk or whole milk is poured over the tea and ice. This makes it taste even creamier and gives it a nice, colorful look.
In Thai restaurants, you'll often find it in a tall glass. But if you buy it from street vendors or market stalls in Thailand, it might come in a plastic bag or a tall plastic cup with crushed ice. Some places even make it into a frappé, which is like a thick, blended iced drink. You can also add tapioca pearls to Thai tea to make it a type of bubble tea.
Different Kinds of Thai Tea
Thai tea comes in a few different styles, depending on whether it's hot or cold and what's added to it.
Cold Thai Tea
- Dark Thai iced tea (ชาดำเย็น): This is Thai tea served cold without any milk. It's only sweetened with sugar. It's similar to traditional Indian black tea.
- Lime Thai tea (ชามะนาว): Like dark Thai iced tea, this one has no milk. But it's flavored with lime and sweetened with sugar. Sometimes, mint is added for extra freshness.
Hot Thai Tea
In Thailand, people often drink hot Thai tea in the morning. It's a popular choice to have with pathongko (ปาท่องโก๋), which are long strips of fried dough.
- Thai hot tea (ชาร้อน): This is Thai tea served hot with sugar and milk.
- Dark Thai hot tea (ชาดำร้อน): This is Thai tea served hot without any milk, sweetened only with sugar.
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