Thai iced tea
ชาเย็น
Strong spiced black tea brewed with sugar and condensed milk, poured over crushed ice and topped with evaporated milk. Sweet, bitter and very cold.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: ชาเย็น.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 8 min
- Rest
- 10 min
- Total
- 23 min
- Difficulty
- Very easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Cha yen is strong black tea brewed hot with plenty of sugar and sweetened condensed milk, poured over crushed ice and topped with a slick of evaporated milk that sinks in slowly. The tea is usually the bright orange Thai tea mix sold in Thai and Asian shops: black tea blended with flavouring, typically vanilla and sometimes star anise, and food colouring. Vendors brew it in a long cloth sock and pour it between jugs from a height to cool and froth it. At home a sieve lined with a clean cloth works. If you cannot get the mix, strong black tea with star anise and vanilla comes close in taste, if not in colour.
What you'll need
8 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Tea, Thai tea mix, or strong loose Ceylon or Assam59 ml
- Water500 ml
- Star anise, only if using plain tea (optional)1
- Vanilla, extract, only if using plain tea (optional)1.2 ml
- Sugar44 ml
- Evaporated milk120 ml
- Ice, crushed400 g
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Bring the water to the boil, add the tea and the star anise if using, and simmer 1 minute. Take off the heat and steep 5 minutes. It should be very dark, almost black.
8 min
Tip: Brew it stronger than you would drink it hot. The ice dilutes it by about a third.
Step 2
Strain through a cloth-lined sieve into a jug, pressing the leaves. Pour it from one jug to another from a height three or four times to cool and froth it.
2 min
Step 3
While it is still hot, stir in the sugar, condensed milk and vanilla until dissolved. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, or longer in the fridge.
2 min
Step 4
Fill two tall glasses with crushed ice and pour over the tea, leaving 3 cm at the top. Pour the evaporated milk over the back of a spoon so it floats, and serve with a straw.
2 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 473 kcal
- Protein
- 14.9 g
- Carbs
- 70.2 g
- Fat
- 15.2 g
- Saturated fat
- 6.7 g
- Fibre
- 3.1 g
- Sugar
- 52.7 g
- Sodium
- 698 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Milk
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.
Substitutions
Thai tea mix → Strong Ceylon or Assam tea with 1 star anise and 1/4 tsp vanilla
Close in flavour, brown rather than orange.
Evaporated milk → Whole milk or half-and-half
Thinner and less caramel-tasting, but fine.
Tips
- Use crushed ice rather than cubes. It chills the tea faster and holds the milk layer on top.
- Thai tea mix stains. Wash the cloth and jug straight away.
History & culture
Cha yen is sold from carts on almost every Bangkok street, in tall plastic cups or tied in a plastic bag with a straw, to drink with spicy food or on its own in the heat. Every vendor has a sweetness level and the default is very sweet. Cha manao, the same tea with lime and no milk, is the other street favourite.
Tea came to Thailand largely through Chinese traders and migrants. Cha yen as it is now, iced and milky, belongs to the second half of the 20th century, when ice, condensed milk and evaporated milk became cheap and widely available. The story goes that American influence in the 1950s and 1960s made iced milky drinks fashionable. The orange colour arrived with commercial tea mixes.
Traditional — The orange colour comes from the food colouring in commercial Thai tea mix, not from the tea. Plain black tea gives a brown cha yen that tastes close. Some vendors use non-dairy creamer in place of evaporated milk.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Thai iced tea take?
23 min all in — 5 min prep, 8 min cook, 10 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 2 glasses. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Very easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Nut-free.
7 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan, Timer.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list a salt amount. We will not invent one.
How much sugar?
3 tbsp of Sugar.
What can I use instead?
Thai tea mix → Strong Ceylon or Assam tea with 1 star anise and 1/4 tsp vanilla. Close in flavour, brown rather than orange. Evaporated milk → Whole milk or half-and-half. Thinner and less caramel-tasting, but fine.
Any tips from this recipe?
Use crushed ice rather than cubes. It chills the tea faster and holds the milk layer on top. Thai tea mix stains. Wash the cloth and jug straight away.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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