Milk Tea: Delicious Recipes, Benefits, Risks and History

It’s now 2020, exactly 4 decades since the creation of the milk tea drink. The sheer number of milk tea fans continues to grow more and more as milk tea shops pop open with their vast menus ensuring that anyone can find their “perfect cup”. Nowadays, it’s not even surprising anymore to find someone holding a cup of milk tea but where did all this artisan milk tea originate?

History of Milk tea

People come to believe that milk tea was invented containing tapioca but really, it wasn’t. The tea story started in China around the year 2750 B.C. In the early days of tea-drinking, the leaves were merely picked and boiled in water to produce a rather bitter brew. The leaves were used primarily as a medicine and secondly as a pleasurable drink. Later on, drinking tea arrived in Europe.

For the Brits, tea drinking has become an essential part of their social life and tea parties have become a norm. For the English tea culture, depending on the freshly steep tea, it is either best served with a dash of milk and a cube of sugar or with lemon.

But what about the milk tea we know now? Although many vendors claim they are the original founder of the world-famous drink, the most credible is Liu Han-Chieh of Chun Shui Tang Teahouse in Taichun, Taiwan. In the year 1980, was the first time Liu Han-Chieh came up with the idea of serving Chinese tea cold after he visited Japan, wherein he saw coffee being served cold. This propelled his fledgling chain into Taiwanese teahouse folklore. In the year 1988, his product development manager, Ms. Lin Hsiu Hui, was just in a staff meeting and had brought with her a typical Taiwanese dessert called fen yuan, a sweetened tapioca pudding and just for the fun of it, she poured the tapioca balls into her Assam iced tea and drank it. Everyone at the meeting loved the drink and the well-loved drink was born.

Health Benefits

Aside from a sweet treat, this artisan tea has many benefits, given that real brewed tea is used as the base for the drinks. Green and black teas are rich in plant compounds called flavonoids which act as antioxidants to help fight underlying cell damage caused by reactive molecules known as free radicals, they also improve one’s heart health and exert anticancer effects. Green tea is one of the most popular tea bases for milk tea, which contains a wide range of antioxidants, all of which can boost one’s immune system by preventing oxidative stress. Meanwhile, we all know by drinking milk as a child that it has calcium which is beneficial for the growth and health of our bones. Some of the benefits also include a source of an energy boost, while it’s better not to overdo it, given its high calorie and sugar content.

Health Risks

While milk tea may have its health benefits, this doesn’t excuse it from the health risk that comes with it. There are approximately 240 calories contained in 16 ounces of green tea mixed with boba pearls, which includes 40 grams of sugar and 50 grams of carbohydrates. The number of health concerns in drinking this world-famous drink is plenty. Such health risks may be weight gain and obesity due to the heavy sugar contained in the drink. With that as well, it may include heart problems and dementia. Drinking milk tea may also cause problems with the digestive tract, such as diarrhea and bloating. To avoid those health risks, a healthier version of the drink can be made. It’s simple, avoid the sweet ingredients and use 100 percent fruit juice and raw honey. Lastly, choosing healthy additives, such as chia seeds, flax seeds, berries, and organic milk, while avoiding processed food can tone down the health risks. 

Types of Tea Used for Milk Tea

Building your homemade milk tea drink? The first thing to consider is the type of tea to include. Black tea is by far the most popular tea in the west, especially Earl Grey. Black tea is also known as red tea mostly in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Black tea is a true tea that comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. Green tea is the most popular type of tea in Japan and parts of China and is beginning to gain popularity in the west due to its popular health benefits that include high levels of antioxidants and vitamins. Oolong tea is a type of tea that is sometimes called “wulong” or “black dragon” tea. These kinds of tea are semi-oxidized teas. Standard oolong tea is a popular option, though green oolong is another favorite for many bubble tea drinkers. White tea is a type of tea that has a delicate flavor and is naturally low in caffeine. Although called white-tea this is not actually “real” white tea. This type of tea is a relatively popular option in some Western countries, but it is rarely used for milk tea in Taiwan.

Homemade Milk Tea Recipes

Example: “If you’re interested in learning how to make Taro Boba Milk Tea or Brown Sugar Boba Milk Tea just click the link.”

Hong Kong Style Milk Tea

Hong Kong Style milk tea is one of the classics in all flavors around the world. This milk tea flavor is made up of freshly brewed black tea and evaporated milk or condensed milk.  

Ingredients

1 cup of water, 1 teabag black tea, 15 ounces of condensed milk (or evaporated milk).

Tools

Pot

Steps

1. Step 1:  Boil a pot of water. Once your water is boiling bring it down a notch, from here, simply add your teabag of black tea and steep for 5 minutes.
2. Step 2: Turn down from medium-high to low heat. Slowly add your condensed milk or evaporated milk and keep stirring. (Preferably, 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of milk per cup of black tea, try it out as a benchmark and continue adding until you get your preferred creaminess.) 
3. Step 3: Once properly mixed, pour in a cup and enjoy while hot.

Thai Iced Milk Tea

It’s bright orange and amber-colored milk tea. Thai Iced Milk Tea is made with black tea leaves, creamer and toppings such as boba pearls or jelly, this classic milk tea flavor taste similar to Hong Kong Style milk tea, both flavors is made with almost the same ingredients, but there are slight notes of spices in Thai milk tea that you won’t find in a regular black milk tea.

Ingredients

A handful of Thai Tea Leaves, ¾ cup of sugar, ice, and creamer (milk, half & half or condensed)

Tools

Pot and strainer

Steps

1. Step 1: Boil a pot of water. Once your water is boiling, lower the heat then add the tea leaves in the pot. 
2. Step 2: Once you’ve added your tea leaves, you’ll have to add your ¾ cup of sugar. Continually mix the contents so that the sugar can dissolve nicely (make sure to stir often so nothing sticks or burns at the bottom of the pot). 
3. Step 3: Turn off the heat and let the tea steep for about 20-30 minutes. (Steeping your tea for a longer duration allows you to experience more depth of flavors, so you may adjust according to your preferred taste.)
4. Step 4: After the steeping duration is over, let it cool down to room temperature.
5. Step 5: When ready to serve, scoop some ice and put it in a tall glass leaving enough room for your Thai Tea and creamer (preferably condensed milk).

Ginger Milk Tea

Nothing tastes quite like ginger tea, especially during the winter season! Although it can be served cold, you can still feel the warmth the ginger gives out in the milk tea. Don’t be so quick to judge, it may sound like a weird drink but ginger milk tea is very delicious. 

Ingredients

1 fresh ginger root (chopped), 2 tablespoons black tea loose leaves, sweetener (honey or sweetened condensed milk), ¼ cup of milk 

Tools

Pot and strainer

Steps

1. Step 1: Boil some hot water then place your ginger into the water and begin the boiling process and let it sit there for 2 minutes, allowing the flavor to come out. If you want a stronger taste you can simply boil it a bit longer. 
2. Step 2: Add the black tea leaves in the pot and let it steep for 5 more minutes.
3. Step 3: Once the steeping process is done, make sure to strain the black tea leaves and ginger as you pour into a cup. 
4. Step 4: Add the sweetener and milk (or creamer). Another alternative is honey, Stir it all up and enjoy!

Winter Melon Milk Tea

In Asian culture, winter melon is usually known to be a soup dish rather than a drink, up until someone used it for a milk tea ingredient.

Ingredients

Chopped to 2-inch cubes fresh winter melon gourd, 1 teabag jasmine tea, ¼ cup of creamer (soy milk works the best), and ¼ cup of brown sugar

Tools

Pot and strainer

Steps:

1. Step 1: Starting with a pot of water, bring it to a boil. Then carefully place your winter melon into the pot, leave it for about 10-15 minutes or until it’s soft. 
2. Step 2: Add ¼ cup of sugar into the pot.
3. Step 3: Strain the contents to separate the flesh and the liquid and let the liquid cool down.
4. Step 4: Boil another pot of water and steep the jasmine tea. Leave it to steep for 6-8 minutes. Then let this cool.
5. Step 5: In a tall glass, add some ice. Then ¼ cup of soy milk, ½ cup of jasmine tea, and finally add ⅓ cup of strained winter melon tea. Mix it all up and enjoy!

Honeydew Bubble Tea

Honeydew is a refreshing melon similar to cantaloupe, but green and sweeter! This is very popular around the Asian cultures, especially in China. Honeydew bubble tea is refreshing and typically it’s made into a smoothie-like texture.

Ingredients

Chopped fresh honeydew, loose leaf green tea, ½ cup of creamer (almond milk, soy milk, etc.), ¼ cup of cooked tapioca pearl (optional), and ice.

Tools

Blender, pot, strainer

Steps

1. Step 1: Boil some water and add the loose tea leaves, let it steep for about 3-5 minutes. Then strain the tea, removing the leaves. Then set it aside to cool.
2. Step 2: Place the honeydew into a blender, add the creamer and ice. 
3. Step 3: Pour the cup of cooled tea in the blender then mix them all.
4. Step 4: Pour your smooth textured drink into a tall glass. Check if you prefer it sweeter, if so, add some honey then stir.
5. Optional: Add tapioca at the bottom of the glass before pouring the honeydew mixture.

The milk tea trend has come a long way and those are just some of the few flavors of milk tea that you can easily make at home. The obsession with the drink continues to rise and more and more flavors are being invented. As the milk tea business continues to grow, it seems to be impossible not to find a shop in your area! So don’t be the last to get in this craze, start finding your favorite flavor today!

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