Teh tarik
Malaysian pulled tea: strong black tea and condensed milk poured back and forth between two jugs from a height until it is frothy, smooth and cool enough to drink.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Teh tarik is strong black tea sweetened with condensed milk and pulled: poured back and forth between two jugs from a height, in a long arc, until it is cool enough to drink and capped with froth. The pulling does three jobs at once. It mixes the thick condensed milk right through, it brings the temperature down from boiling to something you can drink straight away, and it beats air into the milk so the tea tastes smoother and lighter. The tea is brewed far stronger than a cup at home, usually with cheap dust-grade leaves, because the milk and sugar would swamp anything weaker. Practise over the sink.
What you'll need
4 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Tea, strong loose black tea, or 6 tea bags; dust grade is traditional15 g
- Water600 ml
- Sweetened condensed milk, sweetened120 g
- Evaporated milk80 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan, add the tea and simmer 3 minutes, then take it off the heat and leave 2 minutes more. Strain through a fine sieve or a cloth into a heatproof jug of at least 1 litre.
7 min
Step 2
Stir in the condensed milk and evaporated milk until dissolved. Taste: it should be strong, sweet and a deep tan colour.
1 min
Step 3
Stand over the sink with a second, empty jug. Hold the full jug just above the empty one and start pouring. As the stream steadies, slowly raise the pouring hand to 50 or 60 cm, tilting the lower jug towards the stream, then bring it back down before the top jug runs dry. Pour back the other way. Repeat 5 to 7 times, until the tea is thick with froth.
2 min
Tip: Watch the lower jug, not the top one. Start with short pulls and add height only when you are hitting the target every time.
Watch: The tea is near boiling for the first few pulls. Keep your free hand out of the splash zone.
Step 4
Pour into glasses from a little height to keep the froth on top and serve at once. For teh tarik ais, pull until just warm and pour over a glass of ice.
1 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 180 kcal
- Protein
- 6.1 g
- Carbs
- 25.9 g
- Fat
- 6.1 g
- Saturated fat
- 3.5 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 24.9 g
- Sodium
- 479 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 13 November.
Substitutions
Evaporated milk → Whole milk
Thinner and less creamy. Use a spoon more condensed milk to make up.
Tips
- The froth comes from height and speed together. A thin, steady stream from high up beats a fast, wobbly one.
- For teh halia, simmer a thumb of bruised ginger with the tea.
History & culture
Teh tarik is the drink of the mamak stall, ordered by the glass with roti canai at breakfast, at midnight and through late football matches on the big screen. The tea man pulling at the counter is part of the show, and there are competitions for the longest, cleanest pull. Ask for kurang manis for less sugar, or ais for iced.
It is usually traced to Indian Muslim migrants who ran tea stalls for workers on the rubber estates and in the towns of British Malaya in the early 20th century. Condensed milk kept without a fridge, and pulling cooled and mixed it without spoons or ice. Malaysians now treat it as their national drink.
Traditional — Stall tea men pull between two stainless steel mugs with long handles. Any two heatproof jugs of a litre or more with a good lip work at home; neither is in our equipment list. Many stalls brew the tea in a cloth sock that stays in the pot all day.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Teh tarik take?
15 min all in — 5 min prep, 10 min cook. 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 3 glasses. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
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.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list a salt amount. We will not invent one.
What can I use instead?
Evaporated milk → Whole milk. Thinner and less creamy. Use a spoon more condensed milk to make up.
What should I watch for?
The tea is near boiling for the first few pulls. Keep your free hand out of the splash zone.
Any tips from this recipe?
The froth comes from height and speed together. A thin, steady stream from high up beats a fast, wobbly one. For teh halia, simmer a thumb of bruised ginger with the tea.
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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