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Hong Kong–style milk tea

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Hong Kong–style milk tea
Cup of milk tea
CourseDrink
Place of originHong Kong
Serving temperatureHot or iced
Main ingredientsCeylon tea, evaporated, condensed milk, sugar
Similar dishes
Hong Kong–style milk tea
Chinese港式奶茶
Cantonese YaleGóngsīk náaihchà
Literal meaningHong Kong–style milk tea
Alternative Chinese name
Chinese香港奶茶
Cantonese YaleHēunggóng náaihchà
Literal meaningHong Kong milk tea
Second alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese大排檔奶茶
Simplified Chinese大排档奶茶
Cantonese YaleDaaihpàaidong náaihchà
Literal meaningdai pai dong milk tea

Hong Kong–style milk tea is a tea drink made from Ceylon black tea and evaporated milk (or condensed milk). The drink originated in the mid-20th century during the British rule of Hong Kong, and was inspired by the British's afternoon tea.

The Hong Kong variant uses a stronger blend of tea leaves, and the tea is traditionally brewed with a stocking-like cloth using a unique technique recognised by the Hong Kong government as an intangible cultural heritage of the city. These, along with the use of evaporated milk instead of fresh milk, results in a more intense and creamy flavour, differing from the light and diluted taste of British milk tea.

The drink is usually part of lunch in Hong Kong tea culture. Hongkongers consume approximately a total of 900 million glasses/cups per year.[not verified in body] Although originating from Hong Kong, it can also be found overseas in restaurants serving Hong Kong cuisine and Hong Kong–style western cuisine. In the show Top Eat 100, which aired on 4 February 2012, Hong Kong–style milk tea was listed as the 4th most popular food/drink in Hong Kong.[not verified in body][importance?]

History[edit]

Origin[edit]

Hong Kong–style milk tea originates from the British colonial rule over Hong Kong. The British practice of afternoon tea, where black tea is served with fresh milk and sugar, grew popular in the colony.[1][2][3] However, this was only served in hotels or high-end Western restaurants, and thus were out of locals' reach. This prompted local diners, like bing sutts and dai pai dongs, to localise the British ingredients and create an affordable variant suited to Hongkongers' palates.[1] This included substituting regular milk for evaporated milk, which was cheaper, easier to store, and more concentrated.[1][4][5]

A dai pai dong–style restaurant called Lan Fong Yuen (蘭芳園) claims that both silk-stocking milk tea and yuenyeung were invented in 1952 by its owner, Lin Muhe.[6] Its claim for yuenyeung is unverified, but that for silk-stocking milk tea is supported by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong.[7]

In its early days, Hong Kong–style milk tea used a much stronger blend of tea leaves and had an extremely strong flavour. This was marketed towards the city's many labourers in the 1940s, which desired a high caffeine content to "replenish their energy". A few decades later in the 1960s, the drink became more widely available at cha chaan tengs and thus began to also appeal to office workers, who opted for a less intense tea. This eventually transformed the drink into its current state,[1] which is still stronger and creamier than the lighter British milk tea.[5]

Naming[edit]

It is called "milk tea" (Chinese: 奶茶; Cantonese Yale: náaihchà) to distinguish it from "Chinese tea" (Chinese: 茶; Cantonese Yale: chà), which is served plain. Outside of Hong Kong, it is referred to as "Hong Kong–style milk tea". It has another name, "silk stocking milk tea" which originates from the appearance of the sackcloth tea leaf filter bag. In the 1950s and 1960s, the main customers of Hong Kong–style milk tea were workers and labourers, who thought that the sackcloth looked like pantyhose.[8]

Culture[edit]

Hong Kong–style milk tea is considered culturally significant and a symbol of the Hong Kong identity. This emerged in 2007 when the Hong Kong government removed Queen's Pier, a local landmark reminiscent of the city's colonial era. This prompted many young Hongkongers to contemplate the local identity, which coupled with rising localist sentiments to make Hong Kong–style milk tea symbolic of the city's culture.[9]

With this symbolic status, Hong Kong–style milk tea may be considered comfort amid homesickness and also as a political statement for those who have emigrated from the city as part of a politically-driven exodus beginning 2020. Drinking Hong Kong–style milk tea offers these overseas Hongkongers a sense of home and a reminder of their childhood and identity. It is also seen by them as attempts to preserve Hong Kong culture, as "a form of silent resistance" amid perceived cultural erasure. In the UK, where many of these emigrants reside, this has led to an increase of Hong Kong-style milk tea brands and cafes.[9]

In 2017, the government's Leisure and Cultural Services Department declared "Hong Kong–style milk tea making technique" as one of the intangible cultural heritages (ICH) of Hong Kong, under the domain "traditional craftsmanship" as specified by UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the ICH.[5][10][11]

Preparation[edit]

"Silk stocking" milk tea
Making milk tea with a "silk stocking"
Traditional Chinese絲襪奶茶
Cantonese Yalesī maht náaihchà
Literal meaningsilk-stocking milk tea
Cha jau
Traditional Chinese茶走
Simplified Chinese茶走
Literal meaningtea without [evaporated milk]

Hong Kong–style milk tea is made from a mix of several types of black tea. The exact blend varies between cha chaan tengs, which treat the recipe as a commercial secret. In its standard form, the tea blend consists of:[1][5]

  • 30% broken orange pekoe (BOP, medium-grade tea leaves) that give the aroma
  • 30% broken orange fannings (BOF, leftover smaller pieces of tea leaves) that give the deep reddish brown colour
  • 30% dust (very fine particles of tea leaves) that gives the taste
  • 10% Lipton (BOP and Ceylon tea) that enhances the aroma and texture

Traditionally, the tea blend is put into a sackcloth bag, a signature of Hong Kong–style milk tea. The sackcloth helps filter out the tea leaves and any astringency (bitterness), and makes the tea smoother.[1][2] Its resemblance to a silk stocking[12] has given Hong Kong–style milk tea the nickname of "pantyhose" or "silk stocking" milk tea (Chinese: 絲襪奶茶; Cantonese Yale: sī maht náaihchà).[citation needed] This nickname is used in Hong Kong but less so in mainland China and overseas communities.[citation needed]

First, hot water at 96–98 °C (205–208 °F) is poured over the tea blend, which is allowed to steep for 12 minutes. The water is poured at a height of 60 cm (24 in) to apply sufficient pressure to the leaves, which results in an "even taste" and "fragrant aroma". Eventually, the tea leaves become half afloat, which cues the tea master[1] to pour the tea back and forth from the sackcloth bag four times, in a process called "pulling".[1][5][12] Pulling too many times overextracts the tea leaves, while pulling too few times causes the tea to lose its punchiness. After brewing, the tea is kept at 94 °C (201 °F) for up to an hour.[1]

Before serving, a milk variant is added to the tea; an original-style milk tea would be 30% evaporated milk and require the customer to add their own sugar.[1][5] Using evaporated milk, which is more concentrated than milk, reduces the amount of liquid needed to achieve a smooth milkiness, therefore preventing overdilution of the tea's intensity.[4] The most commonly used and best-known evaporated milk is produced by Dutch brand "Black&White", which tea makers say produces the smoothest brew.[1][4] Naturally sweet condensed milk may also be used,[1] giving rise to a variant named cha jau [zh] (茶走).[citation needed] Other cafés prefer using a filled milk variant,[citation needed] which is a combination of skimmed milk and soybean oil.

Hot milk tea in a coffee cup served alongside breakfast

Milk tea is a popular part of many Hongkongers' daily lives, typically served as part of afternoon tea but also at breakfast or dinner. It enjoys nearly the same ubiquitous status that coffee holds in the West. Whilst not offered by more traditional Cantonese restaurants or dim sum teahouses, milk tea is standard fare in Hong Kong–style western restaurants and cha chaan teng, as well as Hong Kong's historic dai pai dong, with a price between HKD$12–16[when?] for a hot serving and two to three dollars more for a cold serving. A cup of hot milk tea is usually either served in a ceramic cup, a tall cylindrical glass, or a metal cup.

The first criterion of a good cup of milk tea is its smoothness (香滑),[citation needed] i.e. how creamy and full-bodied it is. Another criterion for tasty milk tea (and also bubble tea) is some white frothy residue inside the lip of the cup after some of it has been drunk.[citation needed] This white froth means that the concentration of butterfat in the evaporated milk used is high enough.[citation needed] Higher quality milk tea can be identified by the presence of hints of oil on the top following brewing.[citation needed] The oil is what remains from the roasting process during tea production.[citation needed]

Iced milk tea[edit]

A cup of milk tea served in an ice bath, which prevents the drink from being diluted by melting ice while keeping the drink cold

In most restaurants, cold milk tea is prepared simply with ice cubes. However, this results in the drink getting gradually diluted as the ice melts, leading to some preparing their cold milk tea via ice-less methods as a selling point. For instance, the restaurant chain Tai Hing puts their cup of milk tea in a bowl of ice, known as "ice bath milk tea" (Chinese: 冰鎮奶茶; Cantonese Yale: Bīngjan náaihchà),[13][14] an idea it says was inspired by the ice buckets used for beers.[14] Others may simply use refrigerators or ice cubes made of frozen milk tea.[citation needed]

Before the prevalence of ice-making machines, cold milk tea was commonly prepared with the refrigerator. Hot milk tea would be poured into a Vitasoy or Coca-Cola glass bottle for cooling, and then sold directly to customers.[citation needed] Today, this type of glass-bottled milk tea is rare in Hong Kong,[citation needed] though cold milk tea served in metal cans or plastic bottles can be found in many local convenience stores, such as 7-Eleven and Circle K.

Varieties[edit]

Apart from the classic evaporated milk, Hong Kong–style milk tea can also be made with naturally sweet condensed milk,[1] which results in a variant named cha jau [zh] (茶走).[citation needed] Some cafes may also use filled milk, which is a combination of skimmed milk and soybean oil.[citation needed]

Hong Kong–style milk tea may be combined with coffee to make yuenyeung (Chinese: 鴛鴦; Cantonese Yale: Yūnyēung). The "silk-stocking" technique of making the milk tea can also be applied to coffee to give silk-stocking coffee.[citation needed]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Reinfrank, Alkira (9 November 2017). "How Hong Kong-style milk tea became part of local culture". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Best milk teas in Hong Kong (Page 1)". CNN Go. 7 June 2011. Archived from the original on 28 October 2012. Retrieved 29 October 2012. Stemming from the British colonial practice of adding milk to black tea, the Hong Kong version is strained through a sackcloth to encourage smoothness.
  3. ^ DeWolf, Christopher; Ozawa, Izzy; Lam, Tiffany; Lau, Virginia; Li, Zoe (13 July 2010). "40 Hong Kong foods we can't live without". CNN Go. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2011.
  4. ^ a b c "Why Is Evaporated Milk So Popular in Hong Kong?". South China Morning Post. HK Magazine. 10 December 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Hong Kong's milk tea: how it went from a beverage inherited from another culture, to a symbol of the city's identity". South China Morning Post. 25 September 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  6. ^ "BRAND STORY". Lan Fong Yuen. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  7. ^ "OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS" (PDF). Legislative Council of Hong Kong. 19 December 2007. p. 247. Honourable colleagues, the cafe in the photo I am now holding is probably the most long-life cafe still operating in Hong Kong... The owner is a Mr LAM... The popular "silk-stocking milk tea" was the creation of old Mr LAM years ago.
  8. ^ "Hong-kongers crave their iconic pantyhose tea". Reuters. 27 December 2007. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  9. ^ a b "'It's like reminding myself I am a Hongkonger': drinking Hong Kong-style milk tea in the UK offers émigrés a taste of home". South China Morning Post. 25 November 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  10. ^ "First Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory of Hong Kong" (PDF). Intangible Cultural Heritage Office. p. 76. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 January 2016.
  11. ^ "Hong Kong-style Milk Tea Making Technique". Intangible Cultural Heritage Office. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  12. ^ a b Raybaud, Sebastien (14 April 2017). "Making the perfect HK-style milk tea - the silent witness to our city's East-meets-West history and cultural heritage". Young Post, South China Morning Post. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  13. ^ Sun, Silvia (1 May 2019). 傳說中的「冰鎮奶茶」始祖來了！香港必吃「太興燒味茶餐廳」登台，特搜叉燒、五星級燒肉、自家製菠蘿包也是必嚐美味 [The inventor of the legendary "ice bath milk tea" is here! Hong Kong's must-try "Tai Hing restaurant" has arrived in Taiwan. Char siu, five-star siu yuk, and homemade pineapple buns are all must-try delicious food]. Vogue Taiwan (in Chinese). Retrieved 16 July 2024. 不同於多數店家將冰塊放入奶茶中的做法，太興招牌「冰鎮奶茶」則是反過來，將奶茶放入裝滿冰塊的玻璃碗中，不讓茶液隨著冰塊溶解而稀釋 [Unlike most stores' practice of putting ice cubes into the milk tea, Tai Hing's signature "ice bath milk tea" is the opposite: putting the milk tea in a glass bowl filled with ice cubes, thus preventing the tea from being diluted as the ice melts]
  14. ^ a b "Hong Kong's Iconic Milk Tea". South China Morning Post. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2024.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hong Kong-style milk tea.
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