Okay, so I’ve been seeing “Thai tea” everywhere lately, and I finally decided to give it a shot. But instead of getting it at a restaurant, I figured, why not try making it at home? I mean, how hard could it be, right? I looked up a few things online, and most recipes seemed pretty simple, focusing on using black tea as the base. So, here’s how my little experiment went.

Gathering My Supplies

First things first, I needed to get the stuff to make it. Here’s what I ended up grabbing:

• Black tea: I found some loose leaf black tea, seemed pretty standard.
• Sweetened condensed milk: This seemed to be the key to that creamy sweetness everyone talks about.
• Sugar: Because, you know, more sweetness.
• Spices (optional): I saw some recipes mentioning star anise and cardamom, but I skipped those this time. I just wanted to try the basic version first.
• Ice: Lots and lots of ice.

Brewing the Tea

I started by brewing the black tea. I used about 4 tablespoons of the loose leaf tea for around 4 cups of water. Brought the water to a boil in a pot, dumped in the tea, and let it steep for a good 5 minutes or so. I wanted it strong, like, really strong. After steeping, I strained the tea into a big pitcher to get rid of all the tea leaves.

Mixing It Up

This is where the magic happens, I guess. While the tea was still hot, I stirred in the sweetened condensed milk. I didn’t really measure, just kind of poured it in until it looked like a nice, creamy orange color. Probably about half a can? Then, I added some sugar. Again, no measuring, just a few spoonfuls until it tasted sweet enough for my liking.

Cooling and Serving

Once everything was mixed, I let the tea cool down a bit before pouring it over a tall glass filled with ice. The ice melted a little, which I think is what you want. I’ve seen it at restaurants, the colour looks more diluted sometimes.

The Verdict

Honestly, it was pretty good! It definitely had that distinct Thai tea flavor, though maybe not exactly like the restaurant kind. It was super creamy and sweet, and the strong tea flavor really came through. I totally get the hype now. Next time, I might try adding those spices to see how that changes things. Or maybe even try a different brand of black tea. But for a first attempt, I’m calling it a win!