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Hong Kong milk tea
Gong shi naai cha: strong, silky black tea with evaporated milk, 'silk stocking' style
Hong Kong milk tea is the daily fuel of the city's cha chaan teng, poured hot in thick cups at breakfast and over ice in the humid afternoons. Tea masters brew a blend of strong black teas, strain it again and again through a long cotton bag (the stained 'silk stocking'), and mix it with evaporated milk for a smooth, almost velvety drink. Chef's tip: let the tea simmer for a few minutes rather than just steeping it; Hong Kong milk tea is meant to be strong and slightly astringent, or the milk drowns it.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Bring 2 cups water to the boil in a small saucepan, add ⅜ oz loose-leaf black tea (Ceylon, or a strong breakfast blend), lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
5 minStep 2: Take off the heat, cover and steep for 5 minutes, until the tea is very dark, almost brick-red.
5 minStep 3: Strain through a fine cotton tea sock or a fine sieve lined with a coffee filter into a jug. Pour it back through the leaves and strain again twice, pouring from a height, so the tea gets smoother and slightly frothy. Common mistake: using a teabag and boiling water once; you get thin, plain tea that tastes milky, not the strong, smooth cup this should be.
3 minStep 4: Put ½ cup evaporated milk and 2 tbsp sugar or condensed milk into two cups, pour in the hot tea and stir. For iced milk tea, cool the tea, then pour over a glass full of ice with the milk and sugar.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hong Kong milk tea take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 13 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of evaporated milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of sugar or condensed milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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