Are you through with yet another iced latte or jasmine tea? How about a homemade chilled Thai tea? With its eye-catching orange colour, aromatic scent and surprisingly delicious flavour it is bound to the next hit on your next home party.
Cha Yen
There are actually two version of Thai tea: a hot one and a iced one. Considering the blazing hot climate in Thailand, you won’t be surprised to learn that the chilled version – or cha yen in Thai, is by far the most popular of the two.
While its iconic orangey-red colour seems to suggest otherwise, Thai tea is actually made from black tea leaves (Ceylon or alternatively a locally sourced tea species called bai miang). Thai tea can be spiced to your liking by adding typical Asian ingredients such as star anis, squashed tamarind and cardamom. That’s probably why Thai tea is very much appreciated by masala chai tea lovers as well. To this aromatic beverage condensed milk and sugar are added. Finally, the tea is served in a cup or glass filled with ice and topped with unsweetened evaporated milk, coconut milk or unskimmed cow’s milk. The result is a cup of tea that is a wonderful iconic orangey-red colour.
Aromatic and characteristic flavour
As its complex ingredient list suggests, the taste of Thai tea is pronounced and unique. On the one had sweet and rich but at the same time earthy thanks to its nutty aftertaste. In the same vein, the mouthfeel is complex as well: cool and refreshing at first, but at the same time slightly warming thanks to herbs and spices. In terms of aroma Thai tea bears a lot of resemblance with massala chai and chai latte.
Rich in antioxidants
Thai tea is naturally rich in polyphenols, a group of natural compounds typically found in plant foods that are known for acting as antioxidants and reducing inflammation. More specifically, the antioxidants in Thai tea are believed to boost immunity and overall physical well-being.
High in sugar and lactose
There are some clear health benefits to drinking cha yen, but at the same time traditional Thai tea is usually high in sugar. Furthermore, it contains lactose as it is made with condensed milk and unskimmed cow’s milk, making it unfit for people that are intolerant to lactose as well as vegans.
Vegan Iced Thai tea with dates as a healthy alternative
Would you like to enjoy the benefits and the great flavour of chilled Thai tea without having to worry about lactose and the high sugar level? We have come up with the perfect alternative: a compromise that stays true to the tasty, characteristic flavour of Thai tea, but without the high amount of sugar and 100% vegan! How do you do that? By replacing sugar with fresh dates and soy milk instead of cow’s milk and condensed milk. Our iced vegan Thai tea contains 80 calories and 20 milligrams of caffeine per glass.
What do you need?
1. Tea pot
2. Tea strainer or tea ball infuser
3. Blender
Which ingredients do we use?
1. A handful of strong black tea leaves (or sachet)
2. 1 star anis
3. 2 cardamom pods (or 1/3 tea spoon cardamom powder)
4. Half a tea spoon cinnamon sticks
5. Half a tea spoon vanilla extract
6. A pinch of ground tamarind (optional)
7. Four fresh (or dried) en deseeded dates
8. 50 millimeters (unsweetened) soy milk (ex. Lactasoy Unsweetened or Benefitt Soy Barista)
9. 5-7 large ice cubes
Which steps to take ?
Step 1: First we make the tea. The only thing you need to do is let the tea leaves (or sachet) steep in hot water together with the herbs and spices for 3 to 5 minutes. Next, pop the tea in the fridge to chill
Step 2: While the tea cools down, blitz the deseeded dates in the blender until you get a smooth date paste. If you work with dried dates, then you may want to soak the dates in some warm water for a few minutes before popping them into the blender
Step 3: Add the unsweetened soy milk to the date paste until the mixture is the consistency of double cream or custard
Stap 4: Add the date paste to the chilled Thai tea and pour the tea in a glass filled with ice cubes
Stap 5: Enjoy 😉