If you’re anything like us, you probably can’t get enough of Thai iced tea. It’s refreshing, sweet, and deliciously unique. But if you order it from just about any restaurant or fast food place, it tends to be pretty disappointing. Even the sit-down Thai restaurants often serve subpar versions of this delectable drink. Unless you have a supply of juicy limes and fresh ginger at home (or an Asian market nearby), making authentic Thai tea is surprisingly challenging. Most restaurants add canned juices that are syrupy with sugar and lack the natural tartness or spice notes of real limes and ginger root. In other words, they totally butchered it!
Thankfully, this simple recipe for hot Thai tea will change everything about your caffeinated routines forever.
What’s in Thai Tea?
The ingredients for authentic Thai tea are incredibly simple: black tea leaves, boiling water, and a blend of sweeteners and spices. That’s it. No milk, no cream, no artificial flavoring, no preservatives. The real ingredients for authentic Thai tea include black tea leaves, a squeeze of real lime juice, and fresh ginger root. If you can’t find fresh ginger, you can use powdered, but fresh is always preferred. Other ingredients are natural sweeteners like brown sugar and condensed milk. You can also find Thai tea with honey, but we don’t recommend it.
The Best Ingredients for Hot Thai Tea
Let’s start with the tea leaves. Technically, you can use any black tea leaves for authentic Thai tea, but don’t do it. You need a special blend of black tea leaves that is both bold and sweet. Usually, you can find this blend at most Asian markets or online. Look for an authentic black tea like Ceylon, Assam, or Darjeeling. Authentic Thai tea blends use real citrus juice, not artificial flavoring. For the best results, use a juicy lime. If your limes are a little dry, use a quick squirt of bottled lime juice. Even better, use fresh lemon juice for a more complex flavor. Avoid using sweetened juices like orange or grapefruit. The real Thai tea recipe uses fresh ginger root for a spicy, complex flavor. Powdered ginger works, but fresh is better.
A Step-by-step Guide to Making the Perfect Cup
If you want to make authentic Thai tea, you’ll need a small saucepan and a tea bag. Start by filling the saucepan with water and bringing it to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons of black tea leaves and remove the saucepan from the heat. Let the tea steep for 3-5 minutes. While the tea steeps, squeeze the juice from a juicy lime. You’ll need about a tablespoon or two of lime juice. Squeeze the juice from fresh limes or use bottled lime juice. Avoid using lemon or orange juice.
After the tea steeps, remove the tea bag and add the tablespoon of lime juice. Add a teaspoon of brown sugar and stir. Add a tablespoon of condensed milk. You can also add a pinch of ground ginger if you want.
3 Ways to Upgrade Your Hot Thai Tea Experience
An authentic drink is often a person’s favourite option. But, if you feel like trying something new there are plenty of ways to upgrade your hot Thai tea experience. But you’ll still need to start with authentic Thai tea. Then, once you get the hang of making it, you can try these simple upgrades:
Upgrade #1: Add a splash of milk – Adding a splash of milk to your authentic Thai tea is a quick way to upgrade your experience. You can also add a splash of half-and-half for a richer, creamier beverage.
Upgrade #2: Make it iced – Yes, you can make authentic Thai iced tea at home. All you have to do is make the authentic Thai tea recipe, remove the tea bag, and add a tablespoon of sugar. Let it cool to room temperature, then pour it into an airtight pitcher and place it in the fridge.
Upgrade #3: Add a splash of rum – Yes, even authentic Thai tea can be enjoyed as a tropical cocktail. Try adding a splash of rum to your authentic Thai iced tea recipe.
Hot Thai Tea Recipe: Conclussion
Thai iced tea is a refreshing and complex beverage that is perfect for summer. It is a simple drink to make that is packed with flavour. The best part about making Thai iced tea is that there are many different variations of it that you can try. If you like to add a twist to your drinks, you can make them with different flavours. If you want to enjoy a refreshing drink that is packed with flavour, then you should make Thai iced tea. It is a drink that you will love.
P.S. Keep your drink at the perfect temperature with a Muggo Bottle! It can keep your drink cold or warm for up to 24 hours. It comes with a built-in alarm system to help you stay hydrated.
