Thai tea is a sweetened, milky tea popular in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. It is made by steeping tea leaves in hot water, then adding sugar and condensed milk to taste. Some varieties are spiced with cardamom or ginger or sweetened with honey or sugar cane syrup.

Thai tea is an incredibly refreshing, yummy, and oh-so-satisfying beverage! It is made from Ceylon tea, food coloring, ice, and condensed milk. Anyone can make Thai tea at home! In this article, we will explore what exactly Thai tea tastes like and how you should drink it.

What Is Thai Tea?

Thai tea is a caffeinated beverage made from black tea (usually Ceylon tea), condensed milk, and food coloring. It has a unique orange color and is very sweet. It is typically served cold with ice which is a great way to cool down from the brutal Thai heat! 

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Nobody knows who invented Thai tea, but it has been a popular drink since at least the 80s. People believe Thailand’s Indian population may have influenced the drink as they were already making masala chai which is made from boiling tea leaves in milk.

How is Thai tea different? Thai tea is different from standard tea because it is made with condensed milk. The condensed milk makes the tea extra sweet and adds a strong creamy vanilla flavor. Thai milk also contains food coloring, which gives the beverage its orange color.

Thai tea is incredibly sweet and creamy. It also has a light orange color. It is more like a tea-flavored milkshake than a standard cup of tea. Thai tea is made with black tea, which ensures the drink has a distinct, powerful tea flavor.

What Does Thai Tea Taste Like?

Thai tea has a clear black tea taste which is present throughout the beverage. It is earthy and slightly nutty and spicy. These flavors are balanced by a richly sweet, creamy, and vanilla flavor, thanks to the added condensed milk. It tastes like a black tea, sweet flavored milk! 

Thai tea tastes very sweet. It has strong vanilla notes and a lovely creaminess. Thai tea also has a clear black tea flavor which is slightly bitter, smoky, spicy, and earthy. The beverage is very refreshing and rich. It tastes like tea-flavored iced coffee!

What makes Thai tea taste different? Thai tea’s unique taste is because it is made from sweetened condensed milk. The condensed milk adds a lot of sweetness and makes the beverage very creamy.

Thai tea is not like your standard cup of tea. In fact, it is more like a tea-flavored milkshake than a regularly brewed tea. This is because Thai tea is loaded with sweetened condensed milk, which results in a glass of Thai tea containing 30 + grams of sugar!

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What does Thai tea taste similar to? Thai tea tastes very similar to Hong Kong milk tea. Both of these teas are made from sweetened condensed milk and black tea. Thai milk tea tends to be a bit sweeter, while Hong Kong tea has a stronger tea flavor. Hong Kong tea also doesn’t contain food coloring and is not orange.

Thai tea and Hong Kong milk tea are essentially the same drink. They are both made by mixing black tea with sweetened condensed milk. Hong Kong milk tea is often made with more tea and less condensed milk than Thai tea. The result is that Thai tea is slightly sweeter while Hong Kong milk has a more powerful black tea flavor. Thai tea also contains food coloring, which gives the drink an unusual orange color, while Hong Kong milk tea does not contain any food coloring and has a light brown color.

Is Thai tea tasty? Thai tea is super tasty. It has a lovely bright black tea flavor combined with a rich, creamy sweetness. It has an earthy and floral flavor with vanilla notes, and thanks to the ice, Thai tea is super refreshing!

Thai tea is a must-try beverage. Thai tea tastes like a black tea-flavored milkshake. It has a powerful earthy black tea taste, with some added floral notes and rich, creamy vanilla sweetness. There is nothing more satisfying than a slice of cake and an ice-cold Thai tea on a hot summer’s day!

Does Thai tea taste like tea? Thai tea is made with strong black tea (usually Ceylon or Assam tea) and has a powerful yet smooth tea flavor. However, the added condensed milk makes the drink extra sweet, and the ice further dilutes the tea taste.

Thai tea tastes like a black tea flavored milk or even a tea-flavored milkshake. The tea flavor is clear and present throughout the beverage. However, the condensed milk ensures Thai milk has a rich and creamy sweet flavor, loaded with vanilla notes!

Why is Thai iced tea so sweet? Thai iced tea is so sweet because it is loaded with sweetened condensed milk (2 to 4 teaspoons per serving). 16 ounces (473 ml) of Thai iced tea contains a whopping 38 grams of sugar. All of that sugar is responsible for the oh so sweet and oh so yummy taste!

The first thing you will notice when tasting Thai tea is just how sweet it is! This is because this legendary ice tea is overflowing with sweetened condensed milk. Thai tea is not suitable if you are on a diet because a standard serving has between 25 grams and 38 grams of sugar.

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Why is my Thai tea bitter? Thai tea should not be bitter. If your Thai tea is too bitter, you should decrease the steeping time of the tea, increase the amount of condensed milk and or reduce the amount of black tea. A well-made Thai tea should be very sweet and have a smooth, pleasant black tea flavor.

The most common reason Thai tea is bitter is that the steeping method is incorrect. Thai tea becomes overly bitter if the tea is steeped in water that is too hot or is steeped for too long. To further reduce any bitterness, you can simply increase the amount of condensed milk in your Thai tea recipe. When you get your recipe right, your Thai tea should have a refreshingly sweet flavor with a lovely black tea taste which you can taste throughout the beverage.

Is Thai Milk Tea Healthy?

Thai milk tea is not healthy because it is loaded with sugar and is high in calories. Thai milk tea contains a lot of sweetened condensed milk which results in the beverage (16 ounces/473 ml)containing 38 grams of sugar and 308 calories.

If you are on a diet, forget about drinking Thai milk tea! You should view this beverage the same way you view a milkshake or flavored milk. It is very sweet and very high in sugar and calories. Thai milk tea should only be drunk on occasion and as a dessert. You can make a healthy Thai milk tea by replacing the sweetened condensed milk with half and half milk. Or if you want to be super healthy, just drink black tea with water!

Why Is Thai Tea So Orange?

Thai tea is orange because it contains Yellow 6, a food dye. This food dye is controversial as it contains potential carcinogens, notably 4-aminobiphenyl and 4-aminoazobenzene. Yellow 6 was previously used in Kraft Mac and Cheese.

Thai tea has a distinct and unusual orange color. Unfortunately, this color is totally artificial and the result of food dye. The food dye most commonly used is Yellow 6. Yellow 6 has a controversial reputation and is banned in Finland and Norway because it contains carcinogens.

Final Thoughts

Thai tea is a simple beverage made by mixing black tea with condensed milk and food coloring. It is typically served cold with ice. Thai tea has a powerful earthy black tea flavor which is slightly bitter. The black tea is balanced by a very rich, sweet, creamy, and vanilla taste, thanks to the added condensed milk. Thai tea is an absolute must-try beverage and goes amazingly well with cookies and cakes!