Milk tea

For other uses, seeMilk tea (disambiguation).

Milktearefers to several forms ofbeveragefound in many cultures, consisting of some combination ofteaand milk. The term milk tea is used for both hot and cold drinks that can be combined with various kinds of milks and a variety of spices. This is a popular way to serve tea in many countries, and is the default type of tea in manySouth Asiancountries. Beverages vary based on the amount of each of these key ingredients, the method of preparation, and the inclusion of other ingredients (varying fromsugarorhoneytosaltorcardamom)Milk tea is the default type of tea in India and Pakistan and referred to aschai.

Milk tea has been a global sensation ever since the 21st century. It is well-known in many countries such as the United States, Great Britain, Malaysia, India, and most prominently in China, and other Asian countries.The recipes for milk tea mainly consist of a tea base, milk, added sugar, and other added ingredients such as fruits, and creamer. The drink is popular for its rich tea flavor, affordability, pretty aesthetics, sweetness, and diversity that appeals to many people, which is similar tocoffeein the drink market.

The drink is especially popular among teenagers and young adults for its visuals and large variety. The milk tea industry is likely to continue to grow due to its rising popularity in the global market. The sugar that balances the milk and tea from the cultural beverage is leading to a larger consumption among people daily. This has caused an increase in milk tea shops all around the world in recent years.The popularity of milk tea pushes the industry to pursue more supply chains and new products.

Variations

Chinese mainland milk tea

The ancient Chinese Trades of tea in exchange for horses

Chinese tea bricks for trading

In ancient China, tea was primarily consumed for itscaffeinecontent. Milk has been historically regarded as a prominent beverage among nomadic communities, symbolizing their cultural identity.As nomadic populations migrated southward, the consumption of milk gradually permeated the Central Plains region, and history records that whenEmperor Dezong of Tangmade tea, he added "crispy", which is processed and fermented milk, and found it to be delicious.Since then, milk tea became more and more popular in the mainland market because of the opening of tea-horse trading: the emperor moves tea from farms to pasturesor good horses and cows that he needs for war and production. In this case, milk tea has started to spread in different places other than mainland China. In 2019, the milk tea market sold over approximately $140.5 billion in Chinese currency.Some of the most popular milk tea brands includeCoco,Alittle, andHeytea.

Grassland milk tea

Grassland milk tea is often referred to as salty milk tea because of its preparation. In the pastoral regions of China, such as the InnerMongolia,Xinjiang,andTibet,nomadic communities follow the process of initially crushing the tea leaves and subsequently infusing them in boiling water.The tea is then boiled, followed by the addition of milk, which is stirred into the mixture. Finally, an appropriate quantity of salt is incorporated, resulting in the completion of the milk tea preparation. Salt is also used for long term storage as the horde face long-distance travel and extreme weather conditions.

Hong Kong-style milk tea

Hong Kong–style milk tea

Hong Kong milk tea comes from its ties to British milk tea during the colonial era. Since the taste of British milk tea was not very strong, people inHong Kongchanged this drink by adding crushed Ceylon black tea, which is usually calledSri Lankablack tea. Because of its similar pronunciation, Sri Lanka milk tea is then translated to Silang milk tea in Hong Kong. The process of making Silang milk tea has six steps: scraping the tea, boiling the tea, baking the tea, infusing the tea, and adding milk.The tea was put through a sieve as part of the way it was made, which also led to the name "silk hose milk tea". On top of that, evaporated milk was added to the tea to finish the drink.

Taiwan bubble milk tea

Taiwan milk tea

Taiwan milk tea is well-known asbubble milktea. It was originated in the 17th century, when theDutchbrought it there. The Boba is a round starch powder that looks like a pearl. Before being added to the milk tea, this powder circle is usually dipped in syrup. This is done to make sure that when the powder circle is mixed with the sugary milk tea, it keeps its natural sweetness.Bubble tea has acquired such a significant role in representing Taiwanese culture that the people of Taiwan commemorate April 30 annually as the National Day of Bubble Tea.

Milk tea served in India

Other variations include:

• British tea,served with milk
• Bubble tea,also known aspearl milk teaorboba milk tea,is a Taiwanese tea-based drink invented inTaichungin the 1980s. While the terms "bubble tea" and "boba" are often used interchangeably, bubble tea refers to the drink made by combining tea, milk, and sugar, and then adding toppings like boba, fruit jelly, or other toppings. Boba, on the other hand, is a type of topping that is commonly added to bubble tea. It is made from tapioca pearls and adds a unique flavor and texture to the drink.
• Burmese milk tea,calledlaphetyay(လက်ဖက်ရည်), made with strongly brewed black tea leaves, and sweetened with a customized ratio ofcondensed milkandevaporated milk,is popular inMyanmar.It is commonly served in tea shops, which first emerged duringBritish rule in Burma.

  

  A glass of milk tea inNepal

• Cambric tea, a sweetened hot-milk beverage, often made with a small amount of tea
• Doodh pati chai,literally 'milk and tea leaves', a tea beverage drunk inIndia,Pakistan,Nepal,andBangladesh
• Teh tarik,a kind of milk tea popular inMalaysiaandSingapore
• Suutei tsai,a salty Mongolian milk tea
• Shahi Adani,aYemenimilk tea
• Masala chai,also known asmasala tea,is a spiced milk tea drunk in theIndian subcontinent
• Irani chai,a type of milk tea made with pure milk mixed withmawa,prepared in Iranian-style cafes inHyderabad,India
• Thai tea,a sweet tea-based drink popular inSoutheast Asia
• Dalgonamilk tea, milk tea sweetened with traditional Korean dalgona, a honeycomb-like toffee

In Britain, when hot tea and cold milk are drunk together, the drink is simply known asteadue to the vast majority of tea being consumed in such a way. The termmilk teais unused, although one may specifytea with milkif context requires it. This may cause confusion for people from cultures that traditionally drink tea without milk.

Pharmacology

See also:Sweetened beverage § Health implications of sugar sweetened beverage

Milk teas are generally high in sugar, fats and carbohydrates, increasing the risk of obesity when consumed regularly.Some milk teas also contain high concentrations of caffeine. Tests have found milk teas containing generally around 150 mg of caffeine per 470 mL serving. In the EU, beverages containing more than 150 mg/L of caffeine are to be labeled 'high caffeine content' as a warning.A study has found that regular milk tea consumption may cause symptoms of addiction in adolescents.

Further reading

• "Milk-tea-flavored bottled water".Japan Today.13 September 2017.RetrievedSeptember 22,2017.

External links

• Media related toMilk teaat Wikimedia Commons