Thai Iced Tea Recipe | Cha Yen | ชาเย็น - Rachel Cooks Thai (2024)

Many years ago, when I first met hubby and learned he was from Thailand, I was thrilled! Because even though I didn't know much about Thai food at that point, I knew that I loved Thai Iced Tea.

One day, early on in our relationship, I asked him if he knew how to make Thai Iced Tea. He replied, "Of course!" and started filling two glasses with ice. As he was preparing the drinks, I left the kitchen a minute. When I came back, I found him with his laptop on the counter, scouring the internet for "How to make Thai Iced Tea".

I never get tired of teasing him about this story, even now that we've been together for so long. But now I understand why he didn't know how to make Thai tea. Like so many other Thai foods and drinks, it's just not necessary to prepare it at home when delicious versions are readily available right outside your door.

Now that his home is here in the States, he and I both have learned how to make this iconic sweet, creamy drink for ourselves. It is the perfect complement to a spicy Thai meal, and is just as satisfying when sipped on its own as a midday treat.

What is Thai Iced Tea?

Thai Iced Tea is known as "Cha Yen" in Thailand. "Cha" translates to "tea" and "Yen" means "cold" (or "iced" in this context). It is a blend of black tea leaves with various spices, most commonly vanilla. It has a characteristic color that comes from the addition of yellow dye. When brewed, the tea is a deep reddish brown and once milk is added it turns into a terracotta-like orange.

Thai Tea is emblematic of Thai food in the United States, and I have yet to find a Thai restaurant here that does not serve it. Thai Tea can be found all over Thailand as well, including in other forms such as black Thai tea (cha dam yen, ชาดำเย็น), hot Thai tea (cha ron, ชาร้อน) or lime Thai tea (cha manao, ชามะนาว).

How Do You Make Thai Iced Tea?

There seem to be two common ways of making Thai Iced Tea. One is more often used in westernized Thai restaurants - we'll call this version "Restaurant-style Thai Iced Tea". The other version is more commonly found on the streets of Thailand, aka "Street Vendor-style Thai Iced Tea". They both start with the same base of boiling Thai tea mix (composed of black tea leaves, spices, and yellow dye) with water and sugar and letting it steep until it reaches a deep, dark reddish-brown color. The tea mix is strained out using a tea sock filter.

Restaurant-style Thai Iced Tea is then poured into a pitcher and chilled for several hours. When it's ready to be served, it's poured into a glass filled with ice. Then it's topped off with a generous amount of half and half cream or milk of your choice.

Street vendor-style Thai Iced Tea is more commonly mixed with sweetened condensed milk while it's still hot. This mixture is then poured into a plastic bag filled completely with crushed ice. It is topped off with evaporated milk before being given to you with a straw sticking out, ready to drink.

What Do You Need To Make Thai Iced Tea?

Thai Tea Mix

Thai Tea Mix is a combination of loose black tea leaves, yellow dye, and various spices. There are several brands available, with the most popular ones being Pantai Norasingh and the Number One Hand Brand. You can also find this mix available in convenient tea bags, although they generally don't produce as concentrated flavor as the loose tea mix. If you are interested in avoiding artificial dyes, you can also make your own Thai Tea Mix at home. The Thai Tea Mix needs to be brewed strongly because it will dilute when poured over ice.

Tea Sock Filter

Once your Tea Mix has been steeped with water, you will need a Tea Sock to filter out the loose tea leaves. A metal strainer will miss the small particles, leaving you with small black particulate matter at the bottom of your tea cup, so a tea sock is crucial. In Thailand, the tea is often poured back and forth through the tea sock several times as a way to increase its concentration.

Sugar

Thai tea is usually made to be quite sweet, with most versions containing about as much sugar per cup as soda. Plain white granulated sugar is most commonly used, and is dissolved into the tea while it is still hot. Street vendor-style Thai tea doesn't need as much granulated sugar as the restaurant version since sweetened condensed milk adds to its sweetness. If you are making this tea at home, you can adjust the sweetness according to your own preferences.

Milk, of some variety

Thai Iced Tea (Cha Yen) always contains some variety of milk, as opposed to Cha Dam Yen which is served without milk. In Thailand, street vendors will often mix sweetened condensed milk into the tea shortly after it is brewed. Then they top it with evaporated milk after its been poured over ice. These canned milks are more suitable to being outside without refrigeration than whole milk or cream. Thai restaurants in the U.S. seem to prefer using half and half cream. Non-dairy options such as almond milk, oat milk, or even non-dairy creamer can also be used, if you prefer.

Ice

Thai Iced Tea is always served over a generous amount of ice. Crushed ice is more common in Thailand, whereas crushed or cubed ice can be found in western Thai restaurants. This refreshingly sweet drink is best enjoyed right after it is made. You want to drink it before the ice has a chance to dilute the tea.

Regardless of which way you prefer to make your Thai Iced Tea, it's a divine treat. Enjoy it with a plate of pad Thai and bowl of tom kha soup for a popular western Thai meal. Or simply sip on its own as a sweet midday treat. Either way, it can't be beat.

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