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Authentic Thai Iced Tea (Cha Yen)
This is the street-style Thai iced tea — strong spiced black tea, sweetened condensed milk, and that impossible orange glow — tested side-by-side against Bangkok stall vendors until it matched. Fifteen minutes, three core ingredients, no guesswork.
Why this recipe works
- It uses the real mix. Authentic flavor comes from a proper Thai tea blend, not plain black tea with food coloring.
- The pull-pour. Aerating the tea between two vessels — the way vendors do — changes the texture completely.
- Two milks, two jobs. Condensed milk sweetens the hot tea; evaporated milk floats on top for the swirl. Don't swap them.
The ingredients that matter
Thai tea mix. This is the make-or-break ingredient. The blend used by virtually every vendor in Thailand is ChaTraMue — black tea with star anise and tamarind seed.
The gold standard. One bag makes ~50 glasses, which works out to pennies per serving.
Check price on Amazon →The filter sock. A traditional cloth filter strains the fine tea leaves and aerates the pour. A fine-mesh strainer works in a pinch, but the sock is an $8 upgrade you'll never go back from.
The exact style used at street stalls. Rinse, air-dry, reuse for years.
Check price on Amazon →
Authentic Thai Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp Thai tea mix (ChaTraMue)
- 1 tsp loose black tea (optional — boosts tea flavor)
- 2 cups hot water (90°C / 195°F)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tbsp evaporated milk
- Ice, to fill two tall glasses
Auto-scaled from the tested 2-glass recipe. Amounts rounded for the kitchen.