Milk tea is ubiquitous in Hong Kong. It uses a special blend of tea leaves from Sri Lanka (i.e. Ceylon tea leaves), which gives it a unique taste that you can’t quite find elsewhere. With the right kind of evaporated milk, this home recipe is the closest I can ever get to the ones in Hong Kong. It is very simple. I hope you will enjoy it, too!

Ingredients:

1 cup of hot water (close to boiling)
2 Ceylon tea bags (please see Direction #1)
1/4 cup of Evaporate Milk (please see Note under Directions)
1 Tablespoonful of Sugar

Directions:

1. Place 2 Ceylon tea bags in 1 cup of hot water and Steep for at least 10 minutes. (You can find tea bags specially marketed as Hong Kong Style Milk Tea in Chinese supermarket, such as 99 Ranch. Alternatively, you can also find Twiling Ceylon Orange Pekoe Tea Bags from places like Cost Plus World Market. I haven’t tried this particular tea but lots of bloggers find them very close)
2. Remove the tea bags. Then add evaporated milk and sugar. You can also adjust these 2 ingredients to your taste.
3. If you enjoy it hot, heat it in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds.
4. If you like it cold, place it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours. Once out of the fridge, enjoying it in an insulated cup is highly recommended!
5. Enjoy!

 

Note:

If you have a water boiler (the ones that keep your water hot all the time), you can simply hit “Reboil.” You can then use the water once it is at 212F (= boiling water).

For evaporated milk, I used  a brand called “California Farms,” which can be purchased at PCC in Seattle area. It is very creamy and gives it a very smooth texture.