How to Simulate Iced Thai Tea Without the Proper Tea
Thai iced tea is a strikingly orange drink served in many Thai restaurants which is made from a combination of Thai tea, dairy, sugar and ice. Its distinctive flavor comes not from the tea leaves themselves but rather from the blend of spices mixed with the tea. You can buy this blend in the tea section of many grocery stores, but if you cannot find it, you can make a substitute at home. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 1 cup black tea
- 1 tsp. star anise
- 1 tsp. powdered vanilla
- ½ tsp. ground tamarind
- ½ tsp. cardamom
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Measuring spoons
- Tea ball
- Water
- Crushed ice
- Mugs or glasses
- 2 tbsp. sweetened condensed milk per glass
- 2 tbsp. half and half per glass
- Sugar to taste (optional)
Instructions
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1
Combine the black tea and all of the spices in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly with a spoon until all of these ingredients are completely mixed and the tea leaves are evenly coated with the spices. This recipe makes enough dry Thai tea mix for around 50 cups of tea.
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2
Measure 1 tsp. of your Thai tea mixture per glass and put it into your tea ball.
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3
Bring approximately 6 oz. of water per glass to a boil. As soon as the water boils, remove it from the heat and place the tea ball in the hot water. Steep the tea for approximately five minutes, then remove the tea ball from the hot water.
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4
Cool the brewed tea in the refrigerator until it is no warmer than room temperature, and preferably somewhat cooler. When the tea is cool enough, fill each mug or glass about half full of crushed ice.
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5
Pour the cooled tea into the mugs, leaving extra room at the top. Add 2 tbsp. sweetened condensed milk to each glass or mug and stir thoroughly.
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6
Pour 2 tbsp. half and half into each glass or mug, leaving it on the top. This forms the distinctive pale layer on top of Thai iced tea. Add sugar to taste, if desired; the tea should already be fairly sweet from the sweetened condensed milk.
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Tips & Warnings
You can vary the amount of the spices in the tea mixture based on your personal taste.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit black tea image by Yekaterina Choupova from Fotolia.com
