Thai Cuisine

Thai Iced Tea (ชาเย็น)

Name: Thai Iced Tea (ชาเย็น)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes (plus cooling)
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 60 g Thai tea mix (such as Cha Tra Mue or Number One brand); 700 ml water; 1 star anise (optional, if not already in the tea mix); 60 ml sweetened condensed milk; 120 ml evaporated milk (or whole milk); null Sugar, to taste (about 30 g, depending on your preference); null Ice cubes, enough to fill 4 tall glasses

Vibrant orange-amber tea steeped with star anise and vanilla, sweetened with condensed milk and poured over ice

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Jump to Recipe

The color is what stops you first. Thai iced tea pours in a shade of orange so vivid and unapologetic that it looks like liquid amber, the kind of color that belongs in a sunset rather than a glass. Then comes the first sip: intensely sweet, deeply fragrant with a combination of star anise and vanilla that makes the tea taste almost like dessert, cooled by ice and softened by a swirl of evaporated milk that drifts upward through the glass in slow, white tendrils.

Cha yen, as it is known in Thai, is one of the most recognizable drinks in Southeast Asian cuisine. It is made from a specific Thai tea blend, typically a mix of Ceylon black tea, star anise, tamarind seed, and orange food coloring, that is steeped strong and then sweetened generously with condensed milk. The drink was likely influenced by Chinese tea traditions brought to Thailand by immigrant communities, adapted over time with the addition of condensed milk, a colonial-era pantry staple across Southeast Asia, and the distinctively Thai spice profile.

What Thai iced tea delivers is indulgence. It is not a subtle or health-conscious beverage. It is sweet, rich, and boldly flavored, designed to complement the spicy, salty, sour food it accompanies. In Thailand, it appears alongside everything from pad thai to som tam, where its sweetness acts as a cooling counterbalance to chili heat. At home, it is a surprisingly easy drink to make. The tea steeps in minutes, the sweetening is straightforward, and the visual drama of pouring the creamy milk over the bright orange tea and ice is endlessly satisfying.

At a Glance

Yield

4 servings

Prep

5 minutes

Cook

10 minutes

Total

15 minutes (plus cooling)

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

4 servings

2 ozThai tea mix (such as Cha Tra Mue or Number One brand)
3 cupwater
1star anise (optional, if not already in the tea mix)
¼ cupsweetened condensed milk
½ cupevaporated milk (or whole milk)
—Sugar, to taste (about 30 g, depending on your preference)
—Ice cubes, enough to fill 4 tall glasses

Method

1
Bring 700 ml of water to a rolling boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and add the Thai tea mix and the star anise, if using. Stir once to submerge all the tea.
2
Let the tea steep for 5 to 7 minutes. The water will turn a deep, vivid orange-red. The longer it steeps, the stronger and more tannic the tea becomes. For Thai iced tea, you want a strong brew because the ice and milk will dilute it significantly.
3
Strain the tea through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth, or use a traditional Thai tea sock filter if you have one. Press the tea leaves gently to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the leaves and star anise.
4
While the tea is still warm, stir in the sweetened condensed milk and the sugar. Stir until everything dissolves completely. Taste the sweetened tea. It should taste noticeably sweeter than you would drink it hot, because the ice will dilute the sweetness considerably.
5
Let the sweetened tea cool to room temperature. For faster cooling, place the pot in an ice bath or refrigerate for 30 minutes. The tea can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
6
Fill 4 tall glasses to the top with ice cubes. Pour the cooled tea over the ice, filling each glass about three-quarters full.
7
Pour about 30 ml of evaporated milk over the top of each glass. Do not stir. The milk will sink slowly through the orange tea, creating the signature two-tone layered effect. Serve with a straw and let each person stir their own glass when ready.
8
The first sip after stirring should taste sweet, creamy, and deeply fragrant with the tea's warm spice notes. The ice ensures each sip is cold enough to make the sweetness refreshing rather than cloying.

Key Ingredient Benefits

Thai tea mix: Most commercial brands are based on Ceylon black tea (Camellia sinensis) blended with star anise, crushed tamarind seed, and food coloring. The tea provides caffeine, theaflavins (antioxidant compounds formed during tea fermentation), and L-theanine, an amino acid that research suggests may promote relaxed alertness without drowsiness.

Condensed milk: Invented as a shelf-stable dairy product in the 19th century, condensed milk became a pantry staple across tropical Asia where fresh milk spoiled quickly. It is high in sugar (about 55 percent by weight) and calories, so Thai iced tea is best enjoyed as an occasional indulgence.

Star anise: The dried fruit of Illicium verum, used in Thai, Chinese, and Vietnamese cooking. Its primary compound, anethole, is traditionally associated with digestive comfort and is the same compound found in anise seed and fennel.

Why This Works

Brewing the tea at full concentration and then diluting with ice is essential to the drink's character. If the tea is brewed at normal drinking strength, the ice melts and leaves a watered-down, pale drink. A strong, almost over-brewed tea maintains its color and flavor even as the ice dilutes it over time.

The combination of condensed milk (stirred into the tea) and evaporated milk (poured over the top) serves two purposes. The condensed milk sweetens and enriches the tea base, ensuring uniform sweetness throughout. The evaporated milk, heavier and unsweetened, creates the visual layering effect and adds a separate textural richness when sipped through the straw before stirring.

Star anise is the key aromatic in Thai tea, and its compound anethole is highly soluble in hot water, which is why a brief steep extracts so much flavor. The warm, licorice-like quality of star anise paired with the tannins of strong black tea creates a flavor profile that is distinctly different from chai or other spiced tea traditions.

Substitutions & Variations

Tea mix: If Thai tea mix is unavailable, brew strong Ceylon or Assam black tea (use double the normal amount of loose tea) with 2 star anise pods. The color will not be orange, but the flavor will be close.

Dairy-free: Replace condensed milk with sweetened coconut condensed milk (available at many Asian grocers). Use coconut cream instead of evaporated milk for pouring over the top.

Less sweet: Reduce the condensed milk to 30 ml and omit the sugar. The drink will be less traditionally sweet but still creamy and flavorful.

Thai iced green tea (cha khiao yen): Use Thai green tea powder (often mixed with jasmine) instead of the orange tea mix. Follow the same method. The result is a vivid green drink with a lighter, more floral flavor.

Hot version (cha ron): Skip the ice. Pour the warm sweetened tea into a cup and top with evaporated milk. This is the traditional Thai hot tea served at breakfast.

Serving Suggestions

Thai iced tea is the natural companion to spicy Thai food. Its sweetness and creaminess work as a palate-cooling counterpoint to the chili heat in dishes like pad kra pao, som tam, and pad prik king.

Serve it alongside a Thai meal or on its own as an afternoon refreshment. It pairs particularly well with fried foods like curry puff or spring rolls, where the cold sweetness offsets the richness.

For a Thai beverage pairing, offer both Thai iced tea and Thai iced coffee and let guests choose. The two drinks share a format but differ dramatically in flavor.

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerator: The brewed and sweetened tea concentrate keeps in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Store without ice or milk. Add ice and milk when ready to serve.

Freezer: Pour the tea concentrate into ice cube trays and freeze. Use these cubes instead of regular ice to prevent dilution as you drink.

Batch prep: This recipe scales easily. Double or triple the tea concentrate for parties and store in a pitcher. Let guests pour their own over ice and milk.