• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • About Me
    • Contributors

Sees Food, Will Travel logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • About Me
    • Contributors
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Travel
    • Recipes
    • About Me
      • Contributors
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Chinese

    November 21, 2021

    Easy Hong Kong Milk Tea Recipe

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    I tend to fall in love with every local beverage of each country that I visit, and this particular drink is no exception. Historically, the Hong Kong milk tea was an invention of necessity to feed the masses, a version of the British-style tea with milk but cut with coffee.

    This Milk Tea Stands Out From Others

    The well-known signature element of Hong Kong milk tea ( 鴛鴦 – “Yuanyuang” in Mandarin and “yuenyeung” in Cantonese) is a base of brewed black tea. Strong Ceylon tea leaves brewed with boiling hot water and steeped for a long time with a silk tea sock create the distinct, slightly bitter aftertaste. Brewed black coffee, the most effective element, finishes the ingredient list. Coffee to me elevates milk tea, adding another dimension and a caffeine advantage over other milk teas around the world.

    The added condensed milk and cream make for an intense sugar and caffeine bomb. This tea is best enjoyed in the morning or early afternoon. Otherwise, get ready for an all-nighter – unless that is what you are looking for. This tea can also be served hot or cold. I visited Hong Kong multiple times during the summer months, so the local milk teas I drank included ice.

    iced milk tea with tin of sugar at Mido Cafe in Hong Kong
    Iced Milk Tea at Mido Cafe

    Recreating Hong Kong Milk Tea in Your Kitchen

    I doubt you have a regular old silk tea sock hanging around or even Ceylon loose leaf leaves to brew. I managed to recreate an authentic-tasting Hong Kong milk tea recipe with Lipton tea bags, french-pressed coffee, condensed milk, and full-fat milk. This simple recipe starts as a single serving because I don’t know about you, but I don’t exactly have masses to feed. The recipe is perfect for a quick whip-up to accompany a lazy afternoon curled up with a book.

    This milk tea echoes that bitter, yet sweet aftertaste and will definitely keep you awake all day. I try not to make these too often because of how addicting they can be. Paired with creamy eggs and toast this rounds out a luscious breakfast.

    Sweets to Pair

    If you want to double-down on sweets, try pairing the milk tea with the following: yema tarts, black sesame seeds, and Spanish bread.

    Have You Tried This Recipe?

    Simply rate the recipe by clicking on the ⭐️s on the recipe card. Have something to say? Please leave me a comment down below telling me what you think of this recipe.

    Bonus: Let me and other readers know what you did to make this recipe your own - 💫 let's inspire each other!

    Also, follow me on Instagram [@seesfoodwilltravel] and send me a DM with a picture of what you made. I would love to share and celebrate YOUR creation with our budding community 💞

    Check out Sees Food, Will Travel on Pinterest and Facebook for more delicious updates.

    hand holding a hong kong style milk tea in the air

    Hong Kong Style Milk Tea for One

    As much as I love watching the traditional process in making Hong Kong-style milk tea, I don't have enough people nearby to serve THAT much tea. This milk tea recipe simplifies the process so that if you get a hankering for one, you make a cup the easy way. Bonus: you can incrementally make more if you feel like because the recipe is simple and quick!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Cook Time 5 mins
    Total Time 5 mins
    Course Drinks
    Cuisine Cantonese, Chinese, Hong Kong
    Servings 1 cup

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 bags Lipton Black Tea (Yellow Label)
    • 1¼ cups boiling hot water
    • 1 to 1½ tablespoon condensed milk (to taste)
    • 2 tablespoon milk (evaporated or whole)
    • 1 to 2 tablespoon coffee (to taste)

    Instructions
     

    • Put three bags in boiling water and let steep for no less than 5 minutes
    • Remove tea bags and mix in condensed milk
    • Add coffee and milk, stir well
    • Enjoy!
    Keyword chinese milk tea, coffee milk tea, drink recipe, easy recipe, hong kong milk tea, hong kong milk tea recipe, hong kong style milk tea, hong kong style milk tea recipe, milk tea, milk tea recipe, quick recipe, simple recipe, tea
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Chinese

    • Siu mai wrapper stack on a plate
      Siu Mai Wrappers
    • Flattened dumpling wrappers and pieces of dumpling wrappers on a gray plate
      Basic Dumpling Wrappers
    • Plate of crispy pan friend noodles and vegetable topping
      Crispy and Crunchy Pan-Fried Noodles
    • Closeup of siu mai in bamboo steamer
      Easy Homemade Siu Mai Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Joanne!

    Living abroad has taught me how food plays an important role in making connections worldwide. I love pies, Asian food, anything made from potatoes, and wine when it comes to food.

    You can learn more about me here.

    I created this site to track my gastronomy adventures, record inspired recipes, and help others build meaningful (and delicious!) travel itineraries.

    Cheers!

    Trending Recipes

    • Closeup of ube lava cake on a blue plate
      Ube Lava Cake
    • Rolled egg omelet or gyeran mari on a plate
      Cheesy Gyeran Mari (Rolled Omelet)
    • Ube cinnamon rolls on a wood table
      Ube Cinnamon Rolls
    • Sliced maja blanca on parchment paper
      A Creamy Maja Blanca Recipe

    Delicious Food Guides

    • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner in Belém (then Lisbon)
    • Overhead view of various plates in Degenried
      Wirtschaft Degenried: A Hidden Gem Restaurant in Zurich
    • Hawksmoor steak header
      Hawksmoor & Flatiron: Steaks in London

    Don't know where to start? See everything I've ever written here.

    Footer

    Currently

    I love anything that has to do with travel, eating, and cooking.

    Nowadays I am getting to know my Filipino heritage by developing some recipes of my own. Check out some Filipino recipes - you will love it 💕

    • Contact
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy

    Filipino Recipes

    Baked ube sugar cookies
    Fried Filipino fritters on a gray plate
    Closeup of Bistek tagalog or Filipino beefsteak
    • Recipe Index
    • Travel & Food Guide Index

    stay connected

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Copyright © 2023 Sees Food, Will Travel

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie SettingsAccept
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT