Milk Tea

Ingredients

• 2 bags tea bags (black tea)
• 11-12 g full-fat milk powder
• 5-7 g caster sugar
• 180-200 ml boiling water

Method

Steep the tea bags in 180–200 ml of boiling water for 20–30 minutes. This long infusion is deliberate — black tea needs time to release the full spectrum of tannins and oxidised compounds that give the brew body. A standard five-minute steep produces a thin, one-note cup. At 20–30 minutes, the liquor darkens to mahogany and develops the mineral sweetness that milk powder and sugar are meant to complement, not mask. The tea will cool to around 70–75°C by the end of this period, which is actually useful: adding milk powder to water hotter than 80°C can cause the proteins to clump and cloud rather than dissolve evenly.

Weigh out 11–12 g of full-fat milk powder and 5–7 g of caster sugar. Full-fat matters — skimmed powder lacks the fat-soluble aromatics that give the drink its characteristic rounded mouthfeel and subtle sweetness. Add both to the brewed tea and stir vigorously for 30 seconds. The milk powder dissolves through hydration; the caster sugar through heat and agitation. Stir until both are visibly incorporated — you should see no powder residue on the cup's surface, and the liquid should lighten slightly in colour as the milk proteins and fat distribute through the aromatic-infusion.

Serve immediately. The drink is best consumed warm but not piping hot — the milk powder's flavour develops more clearly at 60–65°C than at the initial steep temperature. If left to cool below 45°C, the drink will separate slightly as the milk fat begins to set; this isn't a fault, but it does change the texture and mouthfeel.

This is a simple-preparation that relies entirely on correct timing of the initial steep. Many Western drinkers underestimate how long black tea needs to fully open — 20–30 minutes sounds excessive, but it's the difference between a drink that tastes like hot milk with tea flavour added, and one where the tea's character shines through and anchors the sweetness.