What is Teh Tarik -The Malaysian Pulled Tea?

It’s almost like a tradition to drink a cup of teh tarik every morning in Malaysia. This milky, sweet and soothing beverage has become a part of the Malaysian culture, and everywhere you go in this country — from street side food stalls to high end restaurants — you’re bound to see this pulled tea on the menu. The teh tarik (Malaysian Pulled Tea) isn’t an ordinary drink for the locals. It brings back nostalgic memories and feelings, and for some a calming pastime with mates.

What is Teh Tarik?

Found in coffee shops and restaurants in Malaysia and even in Singapore, its neighbouring country, teh tarik is simply tea with condensed milk and sugar. While the combination of ingredients may sound like a regular cup of tea for some, apart from the use of condensed milk instead of normal milk, teh tarik is nothing like any milk tea you’ve tried. 

The literal translation of “teh tarik” is pulled tea in Malay, which is the technique that’s used to create such a wonderful drink. After the seamless mixture of the ingredients, the drink is poured and pulled between two pitchers before serving in a cup to the customer. 

The Origins of Teh Tarik

The teh tarik may seem like a drink created randomly at a random time, when in fact it has a rich history despite its humble pricing. This magnificent and groundbreaking drink was created right after the World War II. Before the war, chai tea was served to the customers as Indian-Muslim immigrants in both Malaysia and Singapore were abundant, and the access to chai leaves were easier. After the war, chai tea leaves became expensive and unaffordable for the citizens. 

Tea drinking was seen as a luxurious activity that only the wealthy can partake. Because of that, most middle-class and lower-class citizens that used to drink the tea they loved had to stop because of the unaffordability. Yet, their love for tea was so strong that they began to experiment with other types of tea and methods to recreate their tea beverages.

The Indian-Muslim immigrants bought discarded tea leaves from processing, as the British would only purchase the best quality tea leaves, and use them for their experimentations. They grounded the discarded leaves into powder that made the taste of the tea even stronger and boiled the tea for hours and hours to save cost. This resulted in the bitter and astringent taste of the tea, resulting in them adding condensed milk and sugar.

That has caught the attention of the local population and ever since the birth of teh tarik, it has become a local favourite for all classes of citizens — the lower and middle class all the way to the high class citizens.

The Art of “Pulling”

What makes the teh tarik what it is now is the method and technique of preparing the tea. Instead of stirring the ingredients together, the hot tea is poured from a significant height of over a meter into another mug. This act is also known as pulling, which translates to “tarik” in Malay language. This pulling method creates foam and enhances the flavour of the tea. It’s even said that the further the distance of the pulling, the better the taste of the teh tarik.

The birth of this pulling method is because the Indian Muslims found it easier and more effective to do it this way than stirring with a spoon. The result of the tea was so pleasing that it became the only way of serving this type of tea beverage. The tea-pullers are known as “sarabats” to this day, and coffee shops in Malaysia and Singapore are preserving this art and artisans of the pulled tea. 

In the present day, even Chinese shops in Malaysia and Singapore offer the teh tarik on their menu. While it is as authentic as it gets without the tea-pullers, the difference is the amount of condensed milk used. The Indians and Malays have a sweeter taste compared to the Chinese, and would use more condensed milk in their tea while the Chinese wouldn’t use as much. 

The art of tea pulling is even regarded as a display of showmanship to the extent that Malaysia holds competitions for the presentation of these skills. Some dare to say that the way the tea is pulled can be tasted in the cup of teh tarik — if it’s pulled perfectly, the cup of teh tarik is perfect, but if it’s not, it affects the flavours of the teh tarik too.

Teh Tarik as a Culture

The teh tarik’s rich history is reason enough for this tea beverage to be a part of the Malaysian culture. Not only has this drink existed for quite some time, but it is also a display of the innovation and creativity of the lower and middle class citizens during the time when the country was colonised. The teh tarik is a symbol of determination and perseverance despite being ripped away from their beloved drink prior to the present day teh tarik.

Regardless of its popularity, teh tarik has remained to be extremely affordable and delicious. This also sheds light on the attitude of the original creators of this drink. Even when the drink became popular to the masses, instead of profiting from it, the drink is still widely available and affordable even to the lowest of income citizens so that everyone can enjoy this cultural drink.

Where is Teh Tarik Being Consumed?

If you ask any Malaysian where can the teh tarik beverage be consumed, they might probably just shrug and say, “anywhere”. It is true — teh tarik can be consumed anywhere. It is found everywhere, scattered all around the country at almost every eatery and restaurant for the locals to enjoy. The most common place to drink teh tarik, and also known to be the best places to get them, are at the local coffee shops one can find on the streets. They’re usually own by an Indian-Muslim, and are most likely a passed-down business from their late ancestors. 

When to Drink Teh Tarik?

Teh tarik is generally consumed at any time of the day, everyday. There’s no specific time to drink it — one can order it at the crack of dawn or the darkest of nights, and not a single soul will judge them. Teh tarik is even served during Malay weddings, house gatherings and other similar occasions.

The most common time, however, is for breakfast along with a local meal called the “roti canai”.

Malaysia’s Best Places to Get Teh Tarik

There’s an abundance of eateries that serve this delicious drink in Malaysia. It’s no surprise, though, it is a national drink the locals are proud of. Because of its easy access to the drink, some places would want to stand out from the rest, and that’s through its craft and technique that amplifies the taste of the beverage.

As mentioned before, the ultimate best place to get the most authentic teh tarik is at a local Indian-Muslim coffee shop by the roadside. The more humble and lowkey it is, the more flavourful it gets. 

For a renowned taste of the teh tarik, especially modern renditions, local bubble tea chains have great teh tarik as well. They even have iced teh tarik with their tapioca pearls, offering the new generation of locals a nostalgic twist to their favourite boba.

Food courts in shopping malls are also wonderful places to get a quick teh tarik fix. Most of the time, Malays are the one undergoing the preparation, hence eliminating the pulling method. Despite that, rest assured the teh tarik drink is just as tasty as any authentic teh tarik.

Making Teh Tarik at Home

For those of us who don’t live in Malaysia and do not have access to this delicious drink, or are just teh tarik lovers that they would want to know how to make it themselves, there are simple steps to getting a cup of teh tarik for yourself in the comfort of your own home. While it may not be as delicious as the Indian Muslims who inherited their pulling techniques from possibly the pioneers or even the creators themselves, you’ll at least get a decent cup of teh tarik.

Ingredients:

• 4 black tea bags
• 3 cups of boiling hot water
• 4 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk (the amount can vary depending on your preference)
• Sugar (optional, but recommended)

Instructions:

1. Steep the black tea bags in the hot water for about five minutes.
2. After that’s completed, add in the milk and sugar, and mix well.
3. Prepare two containers with curved lips. Pour the tea into one container, and with a steady stream, pour the contents to the other. 
4. Repeat the pouring back and forth at a height of at least one meter. The higher the height, the more foamy and flavourful the tea will be. Do this step at least four to six times.
5. Serve in transparent glasses for the most authentic presentation.

The teh tarik is an easily comprehensible drink to understand and make on your own. Despite its simplicity, there are ways that allows one tea-pulling artisan to the other, making a specific shop more famous for their teh tarik beverage than the rest. Unless you’re a teh tarik fanatic that requires only the best teh tarik in the world, making one in the comfort of your own home will suffice and fix your teh tarik cravings, especially for those who have zero access to the teh tarik world that’s huge in Malaysia.