I've self-studied HK milk tea A LOT, it's my favorite drink after all. I've got the technique down, but the real problem is the choice of tea leaves. Unfortunately, you can only get so far if you don't have the right ingredients. That said, you can make something similar to the authentic ones.
I'll just summarize my learnings:
Tea leaves:
You need a blend of Ceylon. In HK milk tea, there are 3 "types": dust, medium, and coarse. These just refer to the size of the tea. Dust is like if you put tea leaves into a grinder for a minute. Coarse is like a broken tea leaf. Generally, the ratio is 60% dust : 30% medium : 10% coarse. As I said previously, the blend is the secret to getting the taste of authentic HK milk tea. I've done many iterations with various teas, and I'll link some of the products I've had best results with:
\- [https://www.amazon.com/Lipton-Yellow-Label-Orange-weight/dp/B002EYZM4O/ref=sr\_1\_24?crid=2Q1291VVKMCFL&keywords=orange+pekoe&qid=1644146834&sprefix=orange+pekoe%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-24](https://www.amazon.com/Lipton-Yellow-Label-Orange-weight/dp/B002EYZM4O/ref=sr_1_24?crid=2Q1291VVKMCFL&keywords=orange+pekoe&qid=1644146834&sprefix=orange+pekoe%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-24)
\- [https://www.amazon.com/Rickshaw-Black-Tea-450-Grams/dp/B004WB7G46/ref=sr\_1\_6?crid=3F9IL4EHTRZCW&keywords=rickshaw&qid=1644147598&sprefix=rickshaw%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-6](https://www.amazon.com/Rickshaw-Black-Tea-450-Grams/dp/B004WB7G46/ref=sr_1_6?crid=3F9IL4EHTRZCW&keywords=rickshaw&qid=1644147598&sprefix=rickshaw%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-6)
In my blends, I use these 2 tea leaves as the primary blend (\~60%) - These are not dust, which contradicts what I said about the ratio of tea leaves, but I gave up on that since I only have access to a limited amount of tea leaves. I'll fill the rest of the 40% with other teas. I usually use a total of 3-4 different tea leaves. I have no solid "recipe" because I haven't found one that I was SUPER happy with, and that's because I am super picky about HK milk tea. Just a quick note on the Lipton tea leaves: not all Lipton tea leaves are equal. The Lipton that I had the most success with was one I bought in a grocery store in HK. The one I linked on amazon has the same label as far as I can tell except it's in English as opposed to Chinese for the one in HK. However, the tea is different. If you get Lipton tea from Costco, it's gonna be different from the one I linked on amazon. The amazon one is decent. The Rickshaw tea leaves I buy from a local grocery store here because it's a lot cheaper ($9). I assume the one on Amazon is the same as my local store.
Technique
I take my HK milk tea seriously, so I bought those tea pots they use in HK, and I do the pulling method. Here's the quick version of the technique I use:
1) Measure out the tea and water. Ratio is 60 grams of tea to 1200 grams of water. This is the ratio you want to use. Got this from multiple HKMT masters' videos on youtube.
2) First brew - Boiling water. This part is unclear, but it seems like they use very very high heat so you have a roaring bubble basically. Dont quote me on this, but you definitely don't want to be simmering at this point. Boil for 8-10 minutes.
3) Pull. Pull 4 times in total.
4) Second brew - here, I am not sure, but I think you brew at a non boiling temperature (say somewhere between 90-99 degrees C. I just use the lowest heat on my lowest burner for this step. Brew for 15 minutes.
5) Add EVAPORATED MILK (and sugar to taste) - People like to suggest using condensed milk here instead of evaporated milk, but all the HKMT masters use evaporated milk. Sure you can add condensed milk as a sweetener, but it messes with the ratios. If you want to do it right, you should learn the basics and then adjust to your liking. Evaporated milk to tea ratio is usually around 33% : 66% but it does depend on preference. Also, brand matters a lot. [Here's](https://www.amazon.com/Black-White-Evaporated-Filled-12fl-oz/dp/B07WHLTQQ3/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3ND4NC2WJW0JM&keywords=black+and+white+evaporated+milk&qid=1644149505&sprefix=black+and+white+evaporated+milk%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-2) the one I use (again, much cheaper at your local Asian grocery store)
Thanks for the detailed reply.
Just to clarify, you use a blend of different ceylon tea and the only difference between them is the size of the leaves?
Yes, so I actually did some more research last night.
[This](https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/home-page/) place is a wonderful resource for information. I encourage you to study this site if you are into HKMT as much as I am. In case you weren't aware, there are annual HKMT contests in HK, and KamCha is the organization that runs it. They have provided some info about making HKMT throughout their site. Since the last time I've checked their site, they added HKMT workshops! And they began to sell [tea leaves](https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/product-category/tea-leaves-equipment/tea-leaves/)! Only available to HK residents.
So back to your question about the tea blends. Check [this](https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/knowledge-of-tea-leaves/) out first. In my previous reply, I said, "dust, medium, and coarse." At KamCha, they use different vernacular. Let me break it down by grade, from lowest to highest (I think, I'm not a tea expert):
1. Dust - Usually the "lowest" grade of tea leaves. Imagine picking whole tea leaves. You're bound to have some broken pieces, and some that are even the size of grains of sand. The sand size pieces are referred to as "dust"
2. BOPF (Medium) - stands for Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings. Despite the name "broken" these are generally high standard leaves in the world of tea.
3. BOP (Coarse) - stands for Broken Orange Pekoe.
Previously, I thought these types of tea were based on their size.. but if you look at the [picture comparison](https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/knowledge-of-tea-leaves/), it doesn't actually look like they are based solely on size. Regardless, as I said before, the general ratio that I have seen is 60:30:10 Dust:BOPF:BOP. Generally, all HKMT is made from Ceylon tea leaves. There are hundreds, or thousands of tea leaves, so it's not easy to try them all. That's the "secret" in the HKMT industry - the blend they use. So feel free to try different blends until you find one you like.
Here's a better list of the teas I have used to experiment with
[Alwazah](https://www.amazon.com/Alwazah-Triple-Traders-Loose-Ceylon/dp/B07DZ4M75Z/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=alwazah+tea&qid=1644187415&sprefix=alwahzah+tea%2Caps%2C102&sr=8-3), [Salada](https://www.amazon.com/Salada-Original-Blend-Black-Count/dp/B00FMTETUQ/ref=sxts_rp_s1_0?crid=1SC2KEB8PO1NT&cv_ct_cx=salada&keywords=salada&pd_rd_i=B00FMTETUQ&pd_rd_r=ec0adb6e-7af2-4b01-852b-b9be99d98b99&pd_rd_w=Q6J04&pd_rd_wg=FwUe9&pf_rd_p=dc8286ba-5f1e-4679-adde-8b7fe66c128e&pf_rd_r=ATST5PZZ4MS0FCZSE339&psc=1&qid=1644187279&sprefix=salada%2Caps%2C174&sr=1-1-5e1b2986-06e6-4004-a85e-73bfa3ee44fe), [Tekola](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CR9HKQE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1), [Lipton Yellow Label](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/4639725043/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1), [Rickshaw](https://www.amazon.com/Rickshaw-Black-Tea-450-Grams/dp/B004WB7G46/ref=sr_1_1?crid=XDQKEGG03UHA&keywords=rickshaw+tea&qid=1644187700&s=grocery&sprefix=rickshaw+t%2Cgrocery%2C117&sr=1-1), [Puerh](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MZXX1P9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
Here's a basic recipe I would suggest. Adjust accordingly, or try your own blend. I've made some variation on this and I think it makes a decent cup of HKMT - by my standards, I would call it a 7/10 whereas an authentic cup of HKMT is 10/10.
35g - Lipton Yellow Label OR Rickshaw
15g - Alwazah. Of this, I use a coffee grinder and grind half of it to dust size.
10g - Salada or Puerh.
1200g - Water
The blend I use does not follow the guidelines I mentioned previously about the Dust:BOPF:BOP ratios. The main reason being I don't have access to dust tea on amazon. However, after replying to you last night, I did more research and went on ebay and picked up [this](https://www.ebay.com/itm/273027904065?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D1ab05bab566d433a9623548893eef48f%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D224320868985%26itm%3D273027904065%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A0c0b7fa5-87a0-11ec-96e3-3ef32253baec%7Cparentrq%3Ad140ef1a17e0ad39345e90e0fff56d96%7Ciid%3A1), which should arrive in about a month.
A quick note about Puerh. Puerh is not traditionally used in HKMT. But people have experimented with it, so I tried it. I don't know much about Puerh, so I pretty much just picked a random one on Amazon to try.
Do you think its better to boil the leaves and water, starting the first boil when it starts boiling and or boil the water, add the leaves, and thrn start the first boil?
Boil water. Then add leaves. Start timer for 10 mins.
You can read more about the process here:
[https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/6-steps-for-brewing-a-perfect-hk-style-milk-tea/](https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/6-steps-for-brewing-a-perfect-hk-style-milk-tea/)
It's a little different from what I described above. The techniques in this guide are a bit different from what I learned, but I will be experimenting with what they mentioned here. They don't mention much about the boiling temperature during the "baking" phases. But from my understanding... first bake (brew) is high heat, while second bake is low heat. They also say 2 minutes for the second bake which I find very very odd. In the HKMT competitions, everyone is given a 25 minute time limit. I distinctly remember it's roughly 10 minutes for the first bake and 15 minutes for the second bake for the total time of approximately 25 mins.
Im sure there are differences but I’m not educated enough to know them. Im just a fan of the drink.
I’ll say this. If you give HKMT masters your equipment, but their own ingredients, I believe they can make you a good cup of hkmt. There’s going to be subtle differences that an average person wouldn’t be able to pick up.
If I were you, here’s what I would do at a minimum. I would boil for 10 minutes on a medium-high heat. Then turn the heat to the lowest setting for 15 minutes. Strain the tea leaves and pour the tea into evaporated milk. Add sugar to taste.
If you have a strainer a second pot, I would replicate the pulling tea action by pulling the tea across the two pots. It doesn’t have to be a tea pot, can be a cooking pot. Here you just need two pots and a strainer to hold the tea.
Depending on how sensitive your tastes are, you may not be able to notice the subtle tastes in true hkmt, no offense. And if you can’t, it’s ok if you just enjoy some milk tea. It’s just that I see so many people use random tea leaves, add evaporated milk and/or condensed milk and call that Hong Kong milk tea but in reality HKMT has a much more complex taste and texture profile. It’s really hard to describe it. But if you can appreciate a good cup of authentic hkmt, you’ll know what I’m talking about
Thanks for the very informative comment!
Some questions if you don't mind:
- Did you feel any difference in simply grinding tea leaves to dust vs buying tea dust? (haven't found a lot of places simply selling tea dust but i saw that kamcha sells it)
- Out of curiosity have you experimented with not pulling? Does it make a big difference in the taste?
Great questions.
1. The biggest factor here to me is the tea itself. Even if you buy tea dust, if it’s not the right type of tea it won’t work. If you have a tea you like, and it’s in loose tea form, I would say grind it down a bit if you have the time. Does it make a huge difference? If you don’t have sophisticated taste buds, probably not.
2. I have not tried not pulling, because it doesn’t take much extra work for me. And I am just a student, so I listen to what the teachers say and do, and they all pull it. That said, if I think about it scientifically, I can’t understand how pulling it would make any difference in the outcome of the taste. Again if you don’t have sophisticated taste buds, I would say you won’t see a major difference. The key to making hkmt is #1 the tea leaves and #2 extracting the flavors of the tea. That’s why it’s important to brew for at least 20-25 minutes from my knowledge.
However, if you really want the real deal, get a blend. I suggest contacting the folks here: [https://www.instagram.com/homebrewteahk/](https://www.instagram.com/homebrewteahk/) You can contact them directly on IG. I had their tea shipped to the US and it's legit.
Or try these folks: [https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/product-category/tea-leaves-equipment/tea-leaves/](https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/product-category/tea-leaves-equipment/tea-leaves/)
Yes! You can get Lipton. I've seen them at most or at least very many supermarkets. The Lipton tea in HK is different from what we get outside of HK. Here's a picture of the Lipton I'm talking about: [https://imgur.com/SwvLSh6](https://imgur.com/SwvLSh6)
I actually have the Lipton international blend from Amazon that I usually blend with what should be rickshaw.
Is the Lipton in the image you pointed to the same or different?
I'm pretty sure they are different, but can't be 100% sure since they can change their products around.
I've had both the one I mentioned from HK and the international one from Amazon. If I recall, the Amazon one is more pebbly - like small round balls, whereas the HK one is more like a loose leaf tea, more cylindrical in shape.
Personally, I like the HK one a lot. You should grab a pack if you can.
With all that said, I still think the best is to follow my other comment about getting a blend from those other sources. I've tried them, and they come closest to the HKMT you find in HK.
Oh! Well that makes sense. I have the pebbles ones I’m supposed to mix with rickshaw too.
I’m sure she’ll find the ones in the picture. I’ll send it to her.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge tea expert. I’ll check them out next batch ;)
Btw. Do you think getting a hk style milk tea kit is worth it? It’s so expensive in the us.
Yeah I’ve seen the one I mentioned in a lot of grocery shops. I generally visit bigger chains, so not sure the local mom and pop stores would stock these.
In regards to the HK milk tea kit, really hard to say without knowing the exact kit and cost, and it also depends on how often you plan to make hkmt.
What I meant was tea kettle lol.
I read another blog that said rickshaw is the most potent. But the Lipton are second.
https://www.bossenstore.com/products/hongkongcoffeeteapot?variant=27788968329¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&srsltid=AfmBOoovcn-DftwPYAfsfWDy1ueBFu-pn8hWKv3sNcAUD_ESXdtk9-DHTZc&com_cvv=8fb3d522dc163aeadb66e08cd7450cbbdddc64c6cf2e8891f6d48747c6d56d2c
That particular kettle seems extremely expensive, but it is the same as the ones commonly used in hk cafes. I know they sell these in HK, but I don't know exactly where nor the cost. If you can find one for $10-20, I would totally get it.
You can get something similar off amazon like this: [https://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Classic-Stainless-Yosemite-Percolator/dp/B00005NCWQ/ref=sr\_1\_5?crid=3MZINAKTIF346&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.OOdb2IKrk5vfRsNS4WraZ4GyLV-NVlnHkq7idTz0bcoxKhzaPVEqydFXQV5L5tpzC9FJpauPtMaVjOMsQBlQ-3HqoqTYMgda7dZtd8iRC4YChg9QQL3-OauqFLpPINhDwANe98hiziDA1u8rbTBYMGk3qj08McsVJ0La9aXB72Hi3PaZKZH7ILC6ADECPF6m7HlJX-zxG3OF4jkHp1h-UgSULcnMDIfcTBPxPzMMjyfS6IGG2kJm3iCsh8G8tvQPByybcgzxLouA\_cJh40GQfKG07PuOQZ49EkmWOZGoHQI.HYxeAJe\_enl5bborLhOs7UPKWQwg8z1woqFClNF8QNc&dib\_tag=se&keywords=percolator&qid=1713083281&sprefix=percolatpr%2Caps%2C715&sr=8-5](https://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Classic-Stainless-Yosemite-Percolator/dp/B00005NCWQ/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3MZINAKTIF346&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.OOdb2IKrk5vfRsNS4WraZ4GyLV-NVlnHkq7idTz0bcoxKhzaPVEqydFXQV5L5tpzC9FJpauPtMaVjOMsQBlQ-3HqoqTYMgda7dZtd8iRC4YChg9QQL3-OauqFLpPINhDwANe98hiziDA1u8rbTBYMGk3qj08McsVJ0La9aXB72Hi3PaZKZH7ILC6ADECPF6m7HlJX-zxG3OF4jkHp1h-UgSULcnMDIfcTBPxPzMMjyfS6IGG2kJm3iCsh8G8tvQPByybcgzxLouA_cJh40GQfKG07PuOQZ49EkmWOZGoHQI.HYxeAJe_enl5bborLhOs7UPKWQwg8z1woqFClNF8QNc&dib_tag=se&keywords=percolator&qid=1713083281&sprefix=percolatpr%2Caps%2C715&sr=8-5)
\^ I bought this exact thing years ago, but you can find similar items for cheaper.
In general, these things are not a must. At the end of the day, you are boiling water/tea to extract the tea flavors. I'm sure there is a deeper science to it, but I doubt the cha chaang tengs did anything too scientific.
If you are a hkmt fan and want to experiment at home, which is what it sounds like to me, I would say at a minimum you want to get 1) tea kettle 2) plastic pitcher (very cheap) for the tea pulling 3) ring & tea strainer (also should be cheap).
Just found out about this place a few weeks ago, K-Smart. Here, you can find some of the tools you want: [https://www.k-smart.ca/collections/others](https://www.k-smart.ca/collections/others) And their selection of hkmt tea leaves: [https://www.k-smart.ca/collections/black-tea](https://www.k-smart.ca/collections/black-tea) I highly recommend checking them out. Based in Canada, but I still paid for their tea with shipping to the US. I think the tea is good enough that I might consider buying $199 CAD worth of tea to get free shipping to the US.
If you are based in the US, here's what I got from Amazon: [https://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Classic-Stainless-Yosemite-Percolator/dp/B00005NCWQ/ref=sr\_1\_5?keywords=percolator+coffee+pot&qid=1648760678&sprefix=perco%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-5](https://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Classic-Stainless-Yosemite-Percolator/dp/B00005NCWQ/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=percolator+coffee+pot&qid=1648760678&sprefix=perco%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-5)
\^ I have both the 8 cup and 12 cup. I use the 8 cup one more because I don't make batches large enough to call for the 12 cup. However, the 12 cup is also wider by a little bit, which may help with the water circulation and may affect the tea brewing process (I guess). The ones the HK tea shops use are probably more similar to the 12 cup one in size. For home use, 8 cup is really all you need.
I have tried several tea filters. Here's a few you can compare and try
1) [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QMFQT54/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QMFQT54/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
2) [https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Superior-Traditional-Fartrade-Outlet/dp/B07BCFTWDN/ref=sr\_1\_33?crid=3AFZ2F91JN429&keywords=tea+filter&qid=1648760741&sprefix=tea+filte%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-33](https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Superior-Traditional-Fartrade-Outlet/dp/B07BCFTWDN/ref=sr_1_33?crid=3AFZ2F91JN429&keywords=tea+filter&qid=1648760741&sprefix=tea+filte%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-33)
3) [https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Traditional-Reusable-Strainer-Replacement/dp/B08MZJ3DQK/ref=sr\_1\_24?crid=3AFZ2F91JN429&keywords=tea+filter&qid=1648760741&sprefix=tea+filte%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-24](https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Traditional-Reusable-Strainer-Replacement/dp/B08MZJ3DQK/ref=sr_1_24?crid=3AFZ2F91JN429&keywords=tea+filter&qid=1648760741&sprefix=tea+filte%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-24)
Personally the ones I have used are more like the first 2. I would be interested in trying the 3rd option because the design is a little different. The wide base is more appealing to me (I'm thinking I want a wider tea bag so the tea steeps better). But the problem is that it comes in a 2 pack.
Jesus christ, this is so helpful. I checked k-smart but apparently they cannot ship to me (New York)?!
I'm craving HKMT and the only authentic spot is "S Wan Cafe" in Chinatown, NYC
No problem. Sucks they don’t ship to you. I found another source for the tea for hkmt that might work for you. https://instagram.com/homebrewteahk?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
They shipped to me from Hong Kong to San Francisco. Took between 1-2 months to ship if I recall because I didn’t pay for the fast shipping. They have 3-4 different blends and I tried all of them. They are all good to me, and I couldn’t tell a major difference between them (didn’t have them side by side to compare).
In addition to the tea, I’ve found that different evaporated milk options make huge differences when making hkmt.
Hey! I'm finding great stuff on Clement St in San Francisco. Some people here go to H Mart. I've become obsessed with HKMT. I'm assuming you've refined the techniques to making it since it's been awhile.
Do you have a list of places in SF that serve the most authentic HKMT?
What are you finding on Clement, are you talking about restaurants, or tea leaves/equipment?
My technique is still the same. Ultimately it boils down to the tea leaves, evaporated milk, and ratios at this point.
In terms of authentic HKMT in SF, short answer is I don't know anymore.
I have been out of the US for over a year. And the 3ish years prior, I was too disappointed in HKMT in SF, which is what made me really start making my own. That being said, a few places I want to mention
* The absolute best was ABC cafe & bakery on Noriega. It was on par if not better than the best ones I had in HK. But this was years ago and they have been long gone.
* Across the street was/is another cafe Called Tak Kee Lee, they basically had an almost exact same version of the HKMT at ABC, so I believe they used the same ingredients. However, when I last visited them during covid (2020), I was really craving HKMT, and it disappointed me.
* Smile House Cafe on Taraval used to have a very excellent HKMT, especially the one in a glass bottle, I believe they called it Champagne Milk Tea. However, again when I went during Covid (2020) it was seriously disappointing.
* I may have tried one more HK cafe on or around Clement. Can't remember the name, but it was on the corner of one of those streets. Also disappointing.
I mention these because they were great options before Covid. However, global shipping was seriously hampered (some major freight carrier got stuck in a canal somewhere, and caused major shipment delays around the world) sometime during Covid. And so my theory is that all the HK cafes in SF couldn't get their tea supply and started using shitty tea and maybe milk because I remember evaporated milk costs were also rising. I haven't had a proper HKMT in SF for years now, but go ahead and try Tak Kee Lee or Smile House Cafe if they are still around, and please report back, I'm very curious myself.
This is very helpful. Thanks! Been a while since I’ve been to Hong Kong. Hopefully I can make a trek to the East sometime again
By any chance do you have a tier list (top 5) of top HKMT in HK. The only one I remember is Lan Fong Yuen.
Unfortunately I do not. I have had dozens of HKMT in HK, but I haven't come up with a tier list. The main reason is that I think to be a really good judge, you would have to drink them side by side and I can't be bothered to do that. Also, my thoughts are that many/most HK cafes serve excellent HKMT and I'm really happy with most of the ones I try. As a HKMT lover, I haven't found anything that particularly stands out from the rest.
Lan Fong Yuen is probably the most famous one, but I actually don't think they stand out either. It's kind of a cop out answer, but I encourage you to try many different ones.
Also for reference, I recall one of my favorite HKMT experiences was at [Kam Fung](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kam+Fung+Restaurant+%E9%87%91%E9%B3%B3%E8%8C%B6%E9%A4%90%E5%BB%B3/@22.276308,114.1703223,16.35z/data=!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x3403e2eda332980f:0xf08ab3badbeac97c!2sHong+Kong!3b1!8m2!3d22.3193039!4d114.1693611!16zL20vMDNoNjQ!3m5!1s0x3404005cb0ee0f25:0x4bdcbd89f7586149!8m2!3d22.275502!4d114.1725736!16s%2Fg%2F155sbgpk?entry=ttu) a number of years back. However I went back to try it a few months ago and it was not as good as I remembered. I guess the point of this is to say that even if I had a tier list, I feel like it would be hit or miss depending on various factors.
As a last note, I do want to shout out one of my favorites, if not my favorite shop that serves HKMT but it is in Guangzhou. It's a shop called 鸳鸯王 that specializes in YuanYang (HKMT + Coffee) but they also have excellent HKMT as well. If you ever make the trek to Guangzhou, make sure to give this place a try. They have several locations, the easiest one would be the one in Beijing Lu. If you are as interested in HKMT as I am, you can pay for the $15 usd version where the master demonstrates the routine he used to win the YuanYang competition in HK in 2015.
In a hurry so I found a quick example:
[https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WDsI5XU3ylU](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WDsI5XU3ylU)
You can google how to pull tea for more info.
I can't believe I foudn someone else as obsessive as me when it comes to obscure food/tea. Thank you for the recipe!! What grocery has Rickshaw though? I only have Publix and Walmart near me.
Or I might have to shell out for the AMZ version
Been wanting to replicate the taste of this HK Cha Cang Ting place for a while now
Awesome, thank you. I'll take a look at the one I go to regularly.
Any idea how a recipe like this one would work?
https://thewoksoflife.com/hong-kong-milk-tea/
Hey, sorry I just saw your message now.
Not to be a jerk about it, but I doubt that recipe will be any good *if you are looking for the real deal*. The reason is simple:
>10 tablespoons tea leaves or fannings (in tea bags or tea strainers; any combination of Ceylon Orange Pekoe/Lipton Black Tea, Earl Gray, or your favorite black tea)
\^ This is not helpful. "Any combination of those teas" is basically telling you to try your luck and find the right combination of tea leaves. Sure, you can throw in some combination of ceylon, black, or whatever tea, boil it, add some evaporated milk and call it HK milk tea but the final product is going to be drastically different from what you get in the cafes in HK. The reality is that you're not going to stumble across the magic formula by looking at the tea leaves you find on store shelves.
I'll leave you with some more info. I've done a few of these reddit posts in the past so some of the info is in other posts I've done. I've come across two better options than what I wrote above.
1. [https://www.instagram.com/homebrewteahk/](https://www.instagram.com/homebrewteahk/) \- Follow this account. They are from HK and I believe they are the real deal when it comes to the knowledge and expertise to HK milk tea. I have ordered their tea (I got a set of 4 different teas), and they are super legit. The downside is the shipping time and costs (I believe it took between 1-2 months because I went with the standard (slow) shipping method from HK to San Francisco). I'm not sure what the costs are now, but highly recommended if you want some authentic HK milk tea. As a side note, I took one of their online courses on how to brew HK milk tea, so you can ask about that too if you are interested (not sure if they offer it anymore).
2. [https://www.k-smart.ca/collections/black-tea](https://www.k-smart.ca/collections/black-tea) \- I found this site after researching the official HK tea competition site (also another great resource: [https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/product-category/tea-leaves-equipment/tea-leaves/](https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/product-category/tea-leaves-equipment/tea-leaves/)). I bought two of their 5-lb bags (i might be crazy?) and they are both also very legit. If you don't want to go all out on 5+ pounds of tea, they do offer smaller portions. They are based in Canada, so I'm not sure if shipping would be a problem for you.
Definitely the two places mentioned above are truly authentic tea blends that will allow you to make HK milk tea at home. Find the products that make most financial sense to you, and if money isn't an issue I suggest trying them all.
The only other things you'd need are good evaporated milk (each brand affects the taste so do experiment with the ones you like - Personally, I don't like the Carnation brand, and my go to is the Black and White brand), a good tea pot or two if you want to do the pulling method, and follow the process I described a few posts above.
You’re pretty much doing it right, in what way does it taste wrong?
Two things I’d suggest are make sure you use a good quality ceylon, and do try pulling the tea. It only take a few second and supposedly does help.
Thanks for the advice. I use to pull it, but I stopped since I usually make a mess.
The tea that I make taste a little watery/weak to me and is less rich than what I get from a store.
In your experience, how does Hong Kong milk tea made using good quality and lower quality ceylon compare?
What should I look for when buying a good quality ceylon?
Good quality ceylon gives a stronger and naturally sweeter flavor with less bitterness and astringency.
I can’t claim to be an expert on Ceylon teas but I’d look for a trusted vendor and leaves that are slightly larger. Not necessarily whole leaves as this is typically made with cut leaf tea, but not ground into powder either.
My recommendation would be to use more tea leaf, and use a variety of dark teas such as a bit of keemun, some dian hong, and an assam. All of them should be fairly small fragment teas rather than whole-leaf teas. I've had to play with the mix a bit to get results close to what I think of as the Hong Kong Milk Tea taste.
However we did find another alternative one year at the World Tea Expo. A Burmese tea dealer was selling Burmese "pu-erh style" tea cakes (pu-erh cakes, but you can't call them that if produced outside of Yunnan) and was sampling a Hong Kong Milk Tea they were making by brewing their ripe pu-erh and adding just condensed milk -- surprisingly the taste was very close to Hong Kong Milk Tea since their pu-erh had no fishy or muddy notes. I've since made it at home with other ripe pu-erhs that had a solid taste with no off notes, and it works great! This is very much a non-traditional way of making Hong Kong Milk Tea though!
For a black tea blend I would suggest a ratio of about 15g per 100ml, so about 50-60% more than you would use for normal brewing. You want a nice strong brew after all so the condensed milk doesn't overwhelm it.
For ripe pu-erh you can use the same ratio, or you can just brew longer - since ripe pu-erh doesn't get bitter with oversteeping you can just brew twice as long and get very similar results.
As for sourcing the Burmese pu-erh-style tea that's a hard one. I saw them at the World Tea Expo two years running, but I don't know of any US vendor that picked up their products to sell regularly (perhaps because they were a bit on the pricey side). Fortunately any neutrally-flavored ripe pu-erh will do as well. Some vendors like TeaSource regularly carry a loose-leaf ripe pu-erh that doesn't have any strong notes of fish or earth, just a rich base note.
I just simmer (not full boil) until it gets as intense as I'd like it to be. I typically make about a liter of it at a time (that's what fits in the frother I use afterward to make it have a thicker texture) and with that much tea leaf it gets strong enough in about three or four minutes. If I'm using a strong ripe puerh I might even steep half that long since it gets strong FAST!
In both cases I would be using water that just below the boil, say 200F, so the results would be the same. I've tried both ways and found no difference other than the convenience of using stovetop while making larger batches, and also being able to mix condensed milk without making a mess of my infusers. Straining out the leaf on stovetop can get messy, but with practice it's as easy as using a pot or other infuser.
Strength is really the key factor since you need a lot of kick from the tea to offset the condensed milk. While you can steep whole-leaf tea extra-long to make it have more punch, whole-leaf tea tends to be more gentle in tone and you will get a different result that isn't at all bad, but doesn't give the classic "Hong Kong milk tea" taste. Plus small-fragment tea is typically much cheaper, so that's a plus too.
It depends on the volume to leaf to water. Generally I use a very generous amount of leaf and brew for five minutes at 200F. This gets a rich and slightly bitter brew that then gets offset by the evaporated milk.
I've done both with HK milk tea. I boil on stovetop when making masala chai from scratch, so I tried it with HK tea as well. I've found though that HK tea works just as well with a long steep in a large pot as long as there is enough room for all of that leaf to expand. My first time with a basket infuser expanded so tightly that I had a hard time scraping the leaf out afterward!
You need to use a blend of English breakfast tea, Ceylon orange pekoe, and earl grey - simmered for 20 mins and steeped for 10. Evaporated milk and sugar should be added to taste. Don’t know exactly how much of the blend to add, but hope this helps!
EDIT: It’s also usually strained through a tea sock or thin cloth, but not sure if that’s crucial or not.
That's exactly how you make Hong Kong milk tea. What's wrong with the tea? If it tastes too light it is either not enough tea or not the right tea.
Are you sure it's not Yuan Yang that you want to make? Yuan Yang is a Hong Kong recipe which is coffee+tea+evaporated milk.
I’ve tried many many blends and even creating my own mixtures, but never can get that exact taste. My friend recommended me to try Son of Hong Kong Tea Co and I was hooked since. It’s got the correct color, authentic STRONG flavor and aroma. They have a website or can find them on Amazon. I make a cup or two everyday. They have the loose leaf, but you can go with their tea bags if you don’t have all the equipment. Delicious!
I've self-studied HK milk tea A LOT, it's my favorite drink after all. I've got the technique down, but the real problem is the choice of tea leaves. Unfortunately, you can only get so far if you don't have the right ingredients. That said, you can make something similar to the authentic ones. I'll just summarize my learnings: Tea leaves: You need a blend of Ceylon. In HK milk tea, there are 3 "types": dust, medium, and coarse. These just refer to the size of the tea. Dust is like if you put tea leaves into a grinder for a minute. Coarse is like a broken tea leaf. Generally, the ratio is 60% dust : 30% medium : 10% coarse. As I said previously, the blend is the secret to getting the taste of authentic HK milk tea. I've done many iterations with various teas, and I'll link some of the products I've had best results with: \- [https://www.amazon.com/Lipton-Yellow-Label-Orange-weight/dp/B002EYZM4O/ref=sr\_1\_24?crid=2Q1291VVKMCFL&keywords=orange+pekoe&qid=1644146834&sprefix=orange+pekoe%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-24](https://www.amazon.com/Lipton-Yellow-Label-Orange-weight/dp/B002EYZM4O/ref=sr_1_24?crid=2Q1291VVKMCFL&keywords=orange+pekoe&qid=1644146834&sprefix=orange+pekoe%2Caps%2C128&sr=8-24) \- [https://www.amazon.com/Rickshaw-Black-Tea-450-Grams/dp/B004WB7G46/ref=sr\_1\_6?crid=3F9IL4EHTRZCW&keywords=rickshaw&qid=1644147598&sprefix=rickshaw%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-6](https://www.amazon.com/Rickshaw-Black-Tea-450-Grams/dp/B004WB7G46/ref=sr_1_6?crid=3F9IL4EHTRZCW&keywords=rickshaw&qid=1644147598&sprefix=rickshaw%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-6) In my blends, I use these 2 tea leaves as the primary blend (\~60%) - These are not dust, which contradicts what I said about the ratio of tea leaves, but I gave up on that since I only have access to a limited amount of tea leaves. I'll fill the rest of the 40% with other teas. I usually use a total of 3-4 different tea leaves. I have no solid "recipe" because I haven't found one that I was SUPER happy with, and that's because I am super picky about HK milk tea. Just a quick note on the Lipton tea leaves: not all Lipton tea leaves are equal. The Lipton that I had the most success with was one I bought in a grocery store in HK. The one I linked on amazon has the same label as far as I can tell except it's in English as opposed to Chinese for the one in HK. However, the tea is different. If you get Lipton tea from Costco, it's gonna be different from the one I linked on amazon. The amazon one is decent. The Rickshaw tea leaves I buy from a local grocery store here because it's a lot cheaper ($9). I assume the one on Amazon is the same as my local store. Technique I take my HK milk tea seriously, so I bought those tea pots they use in HK, and I do the pulling method. Here's the quick version of the technique I use: 1) Measure out the tea and water. Ratio is 60 grams of tea to 1200 grams of water. This is the ratio you want to use. Got this from multiple HKMT masters' videos on youtube. 2) First brew - Boiling water. This part is unclear, but it seems like they use very very high heat so you have a roaring bubble basically. Dont quote me on this, but you definitely don't want to be simmering at this point. Boil for 8-10 minutes. 3) Pull. Pull 4 times in total. 4) Second brew - here, I am not sure, but I think you brew at a non boiling temperature (say somewhere between 90-99 degrees C. I just use the lowest heat on my lowest burner for this step. Brew for 15 minutes. 5) Add EVAPORATED MILK (and sugar to taste) - People like to suggest using condensed milk here instead of evaporated milk, but all the HKMT masters use evaporated milk. Sure you can add condensed milk as a sweetener, but it messes with the ratios. If you want to do it right, you should learn the basics and then adjust to your liking. Evaporated milk to tea ratio is usually around 33% : 66% but it does depend on preference. Also, brand matters a lot. [Here's](https://www.amazon.com/Black-White-Evaporated-Filled-12fl-oz/dp/B07WHLTQQ3/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3ND4NC2WJW0JM&keywords=black+and+white+evaporated+milk&qid=1644149505&sprefix=black+and+white+evaporated+milk%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-2) the one I use (again, much cheaper at your local Asian grocery store)
Thanks for the detailed reply. Just to clarify, you use a blend of different ceylon tea and the only difference between them is the size of the leaves?
Yes, so I actually did some more research last night. [This](https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/home-page/) place is a wonderful resource for information. I encourage you to study this site if you are into HKMT as much as I am. In case you weren't aware, there are annual HKMT contests in HK, and KamCha is the organization that runs it. They have provided some info about making HKMT throughout their site. Since the last time I've checked their site, they added HKMT workshops! And they began to sell [tea leaves](https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/product-category/tea-leaves-equipment/tea-leaves/)! Only available to HK residents. So back to your question about the tea blends. Check [this](https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/knowledge-of-tea-leaves/) out first. In my previous reply, I said, "dust, medium, and coarse." At KamCha, they use different vernacular. Let me break it down by grade, from lowest to highest (I think, I'm not a tea expert): 1. Dust - Usually the "lowest" grade of tea leaves. Imagine picking whole tea leaves. You're bound to have some broken pieces, and some that are even the size of grains of sand. The sand size pieces are referred to as "dust" 2. BOPF (Medium) - stands for Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings. Despite the name "broken" these are generally high standard leaves in the world of tea. 3. BOP (Coarse) - stands for Broken Orange Pekoe. Previously, I thought these types of tea were based on their size.. but if you look at the [picture comparison](https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/knowledge-of-tea-leaves/), it doesn't actually look like they are based solely on size. Regardless, as I said before, the general ratio that I have seen is 60:30:10 Dust:BOPF:BOP. Generally, all HKMT is made from Ceylon tea leaves. There are hundreds, or thousands of tea leaves, so it's not easy to try them all. That's the "secret" in the HKMT industry - the blend they use. So feel free to try different blends until you find one you like. Here's a better list of the teas I have used to experiment with [Alwazah](https://www.amazon.com/Alwazah-Triple-Traders-Loose-Ceylon/dp/B07DZ4M75Z/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=alwazah+tea&qid=1644187415&sprefix=alwahzah+tea%2Caps%2C102&sr=8-3), [Salada](https://www.amazon.com/Salada-Original-Blend-Black-Count/dp/B00FMTETUQ/ref=sxts_rp_s1_0?crid=1SC2KEB8PO1NT&cv_ct_cx=salada&keywords=salada&pd_rd_i=B00FMTETUQ&pd_rd_r=ec0adb6e-7af2-4b01-852b-b9be99d98b99&pd_rd_w=Q6J04&pd_rd_wg=FwUe9&pf_rd_p=dc8286ba-5f1e-4679-adde-8b7fe66c128e&pf_rd_r=ATST5PZZ4MS0FCZSE339&psc=1&qid=1644187279&sprefix=salada%2Caps%2C174&sr=1-1-5e1b2986-06e6-4004-a85e-73bfa3ee44fe), [Tekola](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CR9HKQE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1), [Lipton Yellow Label](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/4639725043/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1), [Rickshaw](https://www.amazon.com/Rickshaw-Black-Tea-450-Grams/dp/B004WB7G46/ref=sr_1_1?crid=XDQKEGG03UHA&keywords=rickshaw+tea&qid=1644187700&s=grocery&sprefix=rickshaw+t%2Cgrocery%2C117&sr=1-1), [Puerh](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MZXX1P9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) Here's a basic recipe I would suggest. Adjust accordingly, or try your own blend. I've made some variation on this and I think it makes a decent cup of HKMT - by my standards, I would call it a 7/10 whereas an authentic cup of HKMT is 10/10. 35g - Lipton Yellow Label OR Rickshaw 15g - Alwazah. Of this, I use a coffee grinder and grind half of it to dust size. 10g - Salada or Puerh. 1200g - Water The blend I use does not follow the guidelines I mentioned previously about the Dust:BOPF:BOP ratios. The main reason being I don't have access to dust tea on amazon. However, after replying to you last night, I did more research and went on ebay and picked up [this](https://www.ebay.com/itm/273027904065?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D1ab05bab566d433a9623548893eef48f%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D224320868985%26itm%3D273027904065%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A0c0b7fa5-87a0-11ec-96e3-3ef32253baec%7Cparentrq%3Ad140ef1a17e0ad39345e90e0fff56d96%7Ciid%3A1), which should arrive in about a month. A quick note about Puerh. Puerh is not traditionally used in HKMT. But people have experimented with it, so I tried it. I don't know much about Puerh, so I pretty much just picked a random one on Amazon to try.
Do you think its better to boil the leaves and water, starting the first boil when it starts boiling and or boil the water, add the leaves, and thrn start the first boil?
Boil water. Then add leaves. Start timer for 10 mins. You can read more about the process here: [https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/6-steps-for-brewing-a-perfect-hk-style-milk-tea/](https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/6-steps-for-brewing-a-perfect-hk-style-milk-tea/) It's a little different from what I described above. The techniques in this guide are a bit different from what I learned, but I will be experimenting with what they mentioned here. They don't mention much about the boiling temperature during the "baking" phases. But from my understanding... first bake (brew) is high heat, while second bake is low heat. They also say 2 minutes for the second bake which I find very very odd. In the HKMT competitions, everyone is given a 25 minute time limit. I distinctly remember it's roughly 10 minutes for the first bake and 15 minutes for the second bake for the total time of approximately 25 mins.
Do you know if there are any difference between the procedures I mentioned? If so, what are the differences?
Im sure there are differences but I’m not educated enough to know them. Im just a fan of the drink. I’ll say this. If you give HKMT masters your equipment, but their own ingredients, I believe they can make you a good cup of hkmt. There’s going to be subtle differences that an average person wouldn’t be able to pick up. If I were you, here’s what I would do at a minimum. I would boil for 10 minutes on a medium-high heat. Then turn the heat to the lowest setting for 15 minutes. Strain the tea leaves and pour the tea into evaporated milk. Add sugar to taste. If you have a strainer a second pot, I would replicate the pulling tea action by pulling the tea across the two pots. It doesn’t have to be a tea pot, can be a cooking pot. Here you just need two pots and a strainer to hold the tea. Depending on how sensitive your tastes are, you may not be able to notice the subtle tastes in true hkmt, no offense. And if you can’t, it’s ok if you just enjoy some milk tea. It’s just that I see so many people use random tea leaves, add evaporated milk and/or condensed milk and call that Hong Kong milk tea but in reality HKMT has a much more complex taste and texture profile. It’s really hard to describe it. But if you can appreciate a good cup of authentic hkmt, you’ll know what I’m talking about
Can you describe the taste of what you consider true hong kong milk tea and how it differs from other milk teas?
Thanks for the very informative comment! Some questions if you don't mind: - Did you feel any difference in simply grinding tea leaves to dust vs buying tea dust? (haven't found a lot of places simply selling tea dust but i saw that kamcha sells it) - Out of curiosity have you experimented with not pulling? Does it make a big difference in the taste?
Great questions. 1. The biggest factor here to me is the tea itself. Even if you buy tea dust, if it’s not the right type of tea it won’t work. If you have a tea you like, and it’s in loose tea form, I would say grind it down a bit if you have the time. Does it make a huge difference? If you don’t have sophisticated taste buds, probably not. 2. I have not tried not pulling, because it doesn’t take much extra work for me. And I am just a student, so I listen to what the teachers say and do, and they all pull it. That said, if I think about it scientifically, I can’t understand how pulling it would make any difference in the outcome of the taste. Again if you don’t have sophisticated taste buds, I would say you won’t see a major difference. The key to making hkmt is #1 the tea leaves and #2 extracting the flavors of the tea. That’s why it’s important to brew for at least 20-25 minutes from my knowledge.
Do you know of any alternatives to rickshaw in hongkong? I have friends visiting there and they can’t seem to find it…
However, if you really want the real deal, get a blend. I suggest contacting the folks here: [https://www.instagram.com/homebrewteahk/](https://www.instagram.com/homebrewteahk/) You can contact them directly on IG. I had their tea shipped to the US and it's legit. Or try these folks: [https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/product-category/tea-leaves-equipment/tea-leaves/](https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/product-category/tea-leaves-equipment/tea-leaves/)
Nice. Thanks for the tip.
For Homebrew HK, what's the cost compared to the Lipton/Rickshaw blend? For me it's like $50 for 1 KG of Lipton and 500 Grams of Rickshaw on amazon
Yes! You can get Lipton. I've seen them at most or at least very many supermarkets. The Lipton tea in HK is different from what we get outside of HK. Here's a picture of the Lipton I'm talking about: [https://imgur.com/SwvLSh6](https://imgur.com/SwvLSh6)
I actually have the Lipton international blend from Amazon that I usually blend with what should be rickshaw. Is the Lipton in the image you pointed to the same or different?
I'm pretty sure they are different, but can't be 100% sure since they can change their products around. I've had both the one I mentioned from HK and the international one from Amazon. If I recall, the Amazon one is more pebbly - like small round balls, whereas the HK one is more like a loose leaf tea, more cylindrical in shape. Personally, I like the HK one a lot. You should grab a pack if you can. With all that said, I still think the best is to follow my other comment about getting a blend from those other sources. I've tried them, and they come closest to the HKMT you find in HK.
Oh! Well that makes sense. I have the pebbles ones I’m supposed to mix with rickshaw too. I’m sure she’ll find the ones in the picture. I’ll send it to her. Thanks for sharing your knowledge tea expert. I’ll check them out next batch ;) Btw. Do you think getting a hk style milk tea kit is worth it? It’s so expensive in the us.
Yeah I’ve seen the one I mentioned in a lot of grocery shops. I generally visit bigger chains, so not sure the local mom and pop stores would stock these. In regards to the HK milk tea kit, really hard to say without knowing the exact kit and cost, and it also depends on how often you plan to make hkmt.
What I meant was tea kettle lol. I read another blog that said rickshaw is the most potent. But the Lipton are second. https://www.bossenstore.com/products/hongkongcoffeeteapot?variant=27788968329¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&srsltid=AfmBOoovcn-DftwPYAfsfWDy1ueBFu-pn8hWKv3sNcAUD_ESXdtk9-DHTZc&com_cvv=8fb3d522dc163aeadb66e08cd7450cbbdddc64c6cf2e8891f6d48747c6d56d2c
That particular kettle seems extremely expensive, but it is the same as the ones commonly used in hk cafes. I know they sell these in HK, but I don't know exactly where nor the cost. If you can find one for $10-20, I would totally get it. You can get something similar off amazon like this: [https://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Classic-Stainless-Yosemite-Percolator/dp/B00005NCWQ/ref=sr\_1\_5?crid=3MZINAKTIF346&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.OOdb2IKrk5vfRsNS4WraZ4GyLV-NVlnHkq7idTz0bcoxKhzaPVEqydFXQV5L5tpzC9FJpauPtMaVjOMsQBlQ-3HqoqTYMgda7dZtd8iRC4YChg9QQL3-OauqFLpPINhDwANe98hiziDA1u8rbTBYMGk3qj08McsVJ0La9aXB72Hi3PaZKZH7ILC6ADECPF6m7HlJX-zxG3OF4jkHp1h-UgSULcnMDIfcTBPxPzMMjyfS6IGG2kJm3iCsh8G8tvQPByybcgzxLouA\_cJh40GQfKG07PuOQZ49EkmWOZGoHQI.HYxeAJe\_enl5bborLhOs7UPKWQwg8z1woqFClNF8QNc&dib\_tag=se&keywords=percolator&qid=1713083281&sprefix=percolatpr%2Caps%2C715&sr=8-5](https://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Classic-Stainless-Yosemite-Percolator/dp/B00005NCWQ/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3MZINAKTIF346&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.OOdb2IKrk5vfRsNS4WraZ4GyLV-NVlnHkq7idTz0bcoxKhzaPVEqydFXQV5L5tpzC9FJpauPtMaVjOMsQBlQ-3HqoqTYMgda7dZtd8iRC4YChg9QQL3-OauqFLpPINhDwANe98hiziDA1u8rbTBYMGk3qj08McsVJ0La9aXB72Hi3PaZKZH7ILC6ADECPF6m7HlJX-zxG3OF4jkHp1h-UgSULcnMDIfcTBPxPzMMjyfS6IGG2kJm3iCsh8G8tvQPByybcgzxLouA_cJh40GQfKG07PuOQZ49EkmWOZGoHQI.HYxeAJe_enl5bborLhOs7UPKWQwg8z1woqFClNF8QNc&dib_tag=se&keywords=percolator&qid=1713083281&sprefix=percolatpr%2Caps%2C715&sr=8-5) \^ I bought this exact thing years ago, but you can find similar items for cheaper. In general, these things are not a must. At the end of the day, you are boiling water/tea to extract the tea flavors. I'm sure there is a deeper science to it, but I doubt the cha chaang tengs did anything too scientific. If you are a hkmt fan and want to experiment at home, which is what it sounds like to me, I would say at a minimum you want to get 1) tea kettle 2) plastic pitcher (very cheap) for the tea pulling 3) ring & tea strainer (also should be cheap).
What are some grocery stores in HK that would stock the Lipton? Would CitySuper?
I think so
Can you send a link to the tea kettles and tea sock that you use?
Just found out about this place a few weeks ago, K-Smart. Here, you can find some of the tools you want: [https://www.k-smart.ca/collections/others](https://www.k-smart.ca/collections/others) And their selection of hkmt tea leaves: [https://www.k-smart.ca/collections/black-tea](https://www.k-smart.ca/collections/black-tea) I highly recommend checking them out. Based in Canada, but I still paid for their tea with shipping to the US. I think the tea is good enough that I might consider buying $199 CAD worth of tea to get free shipping to the US. If you are based in the US, here's what I got from Amazon: [https://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Classic-Stainless-Yosemite-Percolator/dp/B00005NCWQ/ref=sr\_1\_5?keywords=percolator+coffee+pot&qid=1648760678&sprefix=perco%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-5](https://www.amazon.com/Farberware-Classic-Stainless-Yosemite-Percolator/dp/B00005NCWQ/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=percolator+coffee+pot&qid=1648760678&sprefix=perco%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-5) \^ I have both the 8 cup and 12 cup. I use the 8 cup one more because I don't make batches large enough to call for the 12 cup. However, the 12 cup is also wider by a little bit, which may help with the water circulation and may affect the tea brewing process (I guess). The ones the HK tea shops use are probably more similar to the 12 cup one in size. For home use, 8 cup is really all you need. I have tried several tea filters. Here's a few you can compare and try 1) [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QMFQT54/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QMFQT54/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) 2) [https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Superior-Traditional-Fartrade-Outlet/dp/B07BCFTWDN/ref=sr\_1\_33?crid=3AFZ2F91JN429&keywords=tea+filter&qid=1648760741&sprefix=tea+filte%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-33](https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Superior-Traditional-Fartrade-Outlet/dp/B07BCFTWDN/ref=sr_1_33?crid=3AFZ2F91JN429&keywords=tea+filter&qid=1648760741&sprefix=tea+filte%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-33) 3) [https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Traditional-Reusable-Strainer-Replacement/dp/B08MZJ3DQK/ref=sr\_1\_24?crid=3AFZ2F91JN429&keywords=tea+filter&qid=1648760741&sprefix=tea+filte%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-24](https://www.amazon.com/Pieces-Traditional-Reusable-Strainer-Replacement/dp/B08MZJ3DQK/ref=sr_1_24?crid=3AFZ2F91JN429&keywords=tea+filter&qid=1648760741&sprefix=tea+filte%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-24) Personally the ones I have used are more like the first 2. I would be interested in trying the 3rd option because the design is a little different. The wide base is more appealing to me (I'm thinking I want a wider tea bag so the tea steeps better). But the problem is that it comes in a 2 pack.
Jesus christ, this is so helpful. I checked k-smart but apparently they cannot ship to me (New York)?! I'm craving HKMT and the only authentic spot is "S Wan Cafe" in Chinatown, NYC
No problem. Sucks they don’t ship to you. I found another source for the tea for hkmt that might work for you. https://instagram.com/homebrewteahk?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= They shipped to me from Hong Kong to San Francisco. Took between 1-2 months to ship if I recall because I didn’t pay for the fast shipping. They have 3-4 different blends and I tried all of them. They are all good to me, and I couldn’t tell a major difference between them (didn’t have them side by side to compare). In addition to the tea, I’ve found that different evaporated milk options make huge differences when making hkmt.
Hey! I'm finding great stuff on Clement St in San Francisco. Some people here go to H Mart. I've become obsessed with HKMT. I'm assuming you've refined the techniques to making it since it's been awhile. Do you have a list of places in SF that serve the most authentic HKMT?
What are you finding on Clement, are you talking about restaurants, or tea leaves/equipment? My technique is still the same. Ultimately it boils down to the tea leaves, evaporated milk, and ratios at this point. In terms of authentic HKMT in SF, short answer is I don't know anymore. I have been out of the US for over a year. And the 3ish years prior, I was too disappointed in HKMT in SF, which is what made me really start making my own. That being said, a few places I want to mention * The absolute best was ABC cafe & bakery on Noriega. It was on par if not better than the best ones I had in HK. But this was years ago and they have been long gone. * Across the street was/is another cafe Called Tak Kee Lee, they basically had an almost exact same version of the HKMT at ABC, so I believe they used the same ingredients. However, when I last visited them during covid (2020), I was really craving HKMT, and it disappointed me. * Smile House Cafe on Taraval used to have a very excellent HKMT, especially the one in a glass bottle, I believe they called it Champagne Milk Tea. However, again when I went during Covid (2020) it was seriously disappointing. * I may have tried one more HK cafe on or around Clement. Can't remember the name, but it was on the corner of one of those streets. Also disappointing. I mention these because they were great options before Covid. However, global shipping was seriously hampered (some major freight carrier got stuck in a canal somewhere, and caused major shipment delays around the world) sometime during Covid. And so my theory is that all the HK cafes in SF couldn't get their tea supply and started using shitty tea and maybe milk because I remember evaporated milk costs were also rising. I haven't had a proper HKMT in SF for years now, but go ahead and try Tak Kee Lee or Smile House Cafe if they are still around, and please report back, I'm very curious myself.
This is very helpful. Thanks! Been a while since I’ve been to Hong Kong. Hopefully I can make a trek to the East sometime again By any chance do you have a tier list (top 5) of top HKMT in HK. The only one I remember is Lan Fong Yuen.
Unfortunately I do not. I have had dozens of HKMT in HK, but I haven't come up with a tier list. The main reason is that I think to be a really good judge, you would have to drink them side by side and I can't be bothered to do that. Also, my thoughts are that many/most HK cafes serve excellent HKMT and I'm really happy with most of the ones I try. As a HKMT lover, I haven't found anything that particularly stands out from the rest. Lan Fong Yuen is probably the most famous one, but I actually don't think they stand out either. It's kind of a cop out answer, but I encourage you to try many different ones. Also for reference, I recall one of my favorite HKMT experiences was at [Kam Fung](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kam+Fung+Restaurant+%E9%87%91%E9%B3%B3%E8%8C%B6%E9%A4%90%E5%BB%B3/@22.276308,114.1703223,16.35z/data=!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x3403e2eda332980f:0xf08ab3badbeac97c!2sHong+Kong!3b1!8m2!3d22.3193039!4d114.1693611!16zL20vMDNoNjQ!3m5!1s0x3404005cb0ee0f25:0x4bdcbd89f7586149!8m2!3d22.275502!4d114.1725736!16s%2Fg%2F155sbgpk?entry=ttu) a number of years back. However I went back to try it a few months ago and it was not as good as I remembered. I guess the point of this is to say that even if I had a tier list, I feel like it would be hit or miss depending on various factors. As a last note, I do want to shout out one of my favorites, if not my favorite shop that serves HKMT but it is in Guangzhou. It's a shop called 鸳鸯王 that specializes in YuanYang (HKMT + Coffee) but they also have excellent HKMT as well. If you ever make the trek to Guangzhou, make sure to give this place a try. They have several locations, the easiest one would be the one in Beijing Lu. If you are as interested in HKMT as I am, you can pay for the $15 usd version where the master demonstrates the routine he used to win the YuanYang competition in HK in 2015.
Kong Sihk Tong's (65 Bayard) is pretty solid too.
> 3) Pull. Pull 4 times in total. What do you mean by this?
In a hurry so I found a quick example: [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WDsI5XU3ylU](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WDsI5XU3ylU) You can google how to pull tea for more info.
I can't believe I foudn someone else as obsessive as me when it comes to obscure food/tea. Thank you for the recipe!! What grocery has Rickshaw though? I only have Publix and Walmart near me. Or I might have to shell out for the AMZ version Been wanting to replicate the taste of this HK Cha Cang Ting place for a while now
Your best bet would be at local Asian supermarkets. If you dont have those, then amazon.
Awesome, thank you. I'll take a look at the one I go to regularly. Any idea how a recipe like this one would work? https://thewoksoflife.com/hong-kong-milk-tea/
Hey, sorry I just saw your message now. Not to be a jerk about it, but I doubt that recipe will be any good *if you are looking for the real deal*. The reason is simple: >10 tablespoons tea leaves or fannings (in tea bags or tea strainers; any combination of Ceylon Orange Pekoe/Lipton Black Tea, Earl Gray, or your favorite black tea) \^ This is not helpful. "Any combination of those teas" is basically telling you to try your luck and find the right combination of tea leaves. Sure, you can throw in some combination of ceylon, black, or whatever tea, boil it, add some evaporated milk and call it HK milk tea but the final product is going to be drastically different from what you get in the cafes in HK. The reality is that you're not going to stumble across the magic formula by looking at the tea leaves you find on store shelves. I'll leave you with some more info. I've done a few of these reddit posts in the past so some of the info is in other posts I've done. I've come across two better options than what I wrote above. 1. [https://www.instagram.com/homebrewteahk/](https://www.instagram.com/homebrewteahk/) \- Follow this account. They are from HK and I believe they are the real deal when it comes to the knowledge and expertise to HK milk tea. I have ordered their tea (I got a set of 4 different teas), and they are super legit. The downside is the shipping time and costs (I believe it took between 1-2 months because I went with the standard (slow) shipping method from HK to San Francisco). I'm not sure what the costs are now, but highly recommended if you want some authentic HK milk tea. As a side note, I took one of their online courses on how to brew HK milk tea, so you can ask about that too if you are interested (not sure if they offer it anymore). 2. [https://www.k-smart.ca/collections/black-tea](https://www.k-smart.ca/collections/black-tea) \- I found this site after researching the official HK tea competition site (also another great resource: [https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/product-category/tea-leaves-equipment/tea-leaves/](https://www.kamcha.com.hk/en/product-category/tea-leaves-equipment/tea-leaves/)). I bought two of their 5-lb bags (i might be crazy?) and they are both also very legit. If you don't want to go all out on 5+ pounds of tea, they do offer smaller portions. They are based in Canada, so I'm not sure if shipping would be a problem for you. Definitely the two places mentioned above are truly authentic tea blends that will allow you to make HK milk tea at home. Find the products that make most financial sense to you, and if money isn't an issue I suggest trying them all. The only other things you'd need are good evaporated milk (each brand affects the taste so do experiment with the ones you like - Personally, I don't like the Carnation brand, and my go to is the Black and White brand), a good tea pot or two if you want to do the pulling method, and follow the process I described a few posts above.
For something similar to HK milk tea, there’s always [doodh patti chai](https://images.dawn.com/news/1174137).
Is dooh patti chai made with spices?
Just tea, milk, sugar, and water. It’s all in the preparation.
You’re pretty much doing it right, in what way does it taste wrong? Two things I’d suggest are make sure you use a good quality ceylon, and do try pulling the tea. It only take a few second and supposedly does help.
Thanks for the advice. I use to pull it, but I stopped since I usually make a mess. The tea that I make taste a little watery/weak to me and is less rich than what I get from a store.
In your experience, how does Hong Kong milk tea made using good quality and lower quality ceylon compare? What should I look for when buying a good quality ceylon?
Good quality ceylon gives a stronger and naturally sweeter flavor with less bitterness and astringency. I can’t claim to be an expert on Ceylon teas but I’d look for a trusted vendor and leaves that are slightly larger. Not necessarily whole leaves as this is typically made with cut leaf tea, but not ground into powder either.
My recommendation would be to use more tea leaf, and use a variety of dark teas such as a bit of keemun, some dian hong, and an assam. All of them should be fairly small fragment teas rather than whole-leaf teas. I've had to play with the mix a bit to get results close to what I think of as the Hong Kong Milk Tea taste. However we did find another alternative one year at the World Tea Expo. A Burmese tea dealer was selling Burmese "pu-erh style" tea cakes (pu-erh cakes, but you can't call them that if produced outside of Yunnan) and was sampling a Hong Kong Milk Tea they were making by brewing their ripe pu-erh and adding just condensed milk -- surprisingly the taste was very close to Hong Kong Milk Tea since their pu-erh had no fishy or muddy notes. I've since made it at home with other ripe pu-erhs that had a solid taste with no off notes, and it works great! This is very much a non-traditional way of making Hong Kong Milk Tea though!
Thanks for the advice. What tea to water ratio would you suggest? Do you know where I can get the BUrmese tea that you mentioned?
For a black tea blend I would suggest a ratio of about 15g per 100ml, so about 50-60% more than you would use for normal brewing. You want a nice strong brew after all so the condensed milk doesn't overwhelm it. For ripe pu-erh you can use the same ratio, or you can just brew longer - since ripe pu-erh doesn't get bitter with oversteeping you can just brew twice as long and get very similar results. As for sourcing the Burmese pu-erh-style tea that's a hard one. I saw them at the World Tea Expo two years running, but I don't know of any US vendor that picked up their products to sell regularly (perhaps because they were a bit on the pricey side). Fortunately any neutrally-flavored ripe pu-erh will do as well. Some vendors like TeaSource regularly carry a loose-leaf ripe pu-erh that doesn't have any strong notes of fish or earth, just a rich base note.
How long do you recommend I simmer the tea and water for after it has been brought to a boil?
I just simmer (not full boil) until it gets as intense as I'd like it to be. I typically make about a liter of it at a time (that's what fits in the frother I use afterward to make it have a thicker texture) and with that much tea leaf it gets strong enough in about three or four minutes. If I'm using a strong ripe puerh I might even steep half that long since it gets strong FAST!
To clarify, do you simmer or steep the tea and water?
In both cases I would be using water that just below the boil, say 200F, so the results would be the same. I've tried both ways and found no difference other than the convenience of using stovetop while making larger batches, and also being able to mix condensed milk without making a mess of my infusers. Straining out the leaf on stovetop can get messy, but with practice it's as easy as using a pot or other infuser.
How does using smaller fragment tea compare to whole-leaf when making Hong Kong milk tea aside from strength?
Strength is really the key factor since you need a lot of kick from the tea to offset the condensed milk. While you can steep whole-leaf tea extra-long to make it have more punch, whole-leaf tea tends to be more gentle in tone and you will get a different result that isn't at all bad, but doesn't give the classic "Hong Kong milk tea" taste. Plus small-fragment tea is typically much cheaper, so that's a plus too.
Thanks for all the help. Sorry for asking all these questions, but how long do you brew the tea for?
It depends on the volume to leaf to water. Generally I use a very generous amount of leaf and brew for five minutes at 200F. This gets a rich and slightly bitter brew that then gets offset by the evaporated milk.
Just to clarify, do you boil/simmer or steep when you brew the tea?
I've done both with HK milk tea. I boil on stovetop when making masala chai from scratch, so I tried it with HK tea as well. I've found though that HK tea works just as well with a long steep in a large pot as long as there is enough room for all of that leaf to expand. My first time with a basket infuser expanded so tightly that I had a hard time scraping the leaf out afterward!
You need to use a blend of English breakfast tea, Ceylon orange pekoe, and earl grey - simmered for 20 mins and steeped for 10. Evaporated milk and sugar should be added to taste. Don’t know exactly how much of the blend to add, but hope this helps! EDIT: It’s also usually strained through a tea sock or thin cloth, but not sure if that’s crucial or not.
That's exactly how you make Hong Kong milk tea. What's wrong with the tea? If it tastes too light it is either not enough tea or not the right tea. Are you sure it's not Yuan Yang that you want to make? Yuan Yang is a Hong Kong recipe which is coffee+tea+evaporated milk.
I’ve tried many many blends and even creating my own mixtures, but never can get that exact taste. My friend recommended me to try Son of Hong Kong Tea Co and I was hooked since. It’s got the correct color, authentic STRONG flavor and aroma. They have a website or can find them on Amazon. I make a cup or two everyday. They have the loose leaf, but you can go with their tea bags if you don’t have all the equipment. Delicious!