Hong Kong–style milk tea

Hong Kong–style milk tea (), also known as "silk-stocking" milk tea (), is a tea drink made from Ceylon black tea and evaporated milk (or condensed milk). The drink originated in the mid-20th century during the British rule of Hong Kong, and was inspired by British afternoon tea.

The Hong Kong variant uses a stronger blend of tea leaves, which traditionally is brewed using a unique technique that features a stocking-like cotton bag. These, along with the use of evaporated milk instead of fresh milk, results in a more intense and creamy flavour, differing from the light and diluted taste of British milk tea.

The unique technique used to prepare Hong Kong–style milk tea is recognised by the Hong Kong government as an intangible cultural heritage of the city. Since the 1990s, the drink has increasingly become a symbol of the Hong Kong identity and the territory's culture, with industry estimates suggesting that Hongkongers consume an average of 2.5 millions cups of the drink every day. Amid the city's mass emigration wave in the early 2020s, this variant of milk tea can now also be found overseas in Hong Kong–style restaurants.

Naming

Hong Kong–style milk tea is called "milk tea" () to distinguish it from "Chinese tea" (), which is served plain without milk. It may also be referred to as "Hong Kong–style milk tea" () to distinguish it from other types of milk tea popular in Hong Kong, such as Taiwanese bubble tea. The drink is also sometimes nicknamed "silk stocking" milk tea (), as the cloth bag traditionally used during the brewing process resembles women's stockings. However, this was only served in hotels or high-end Western restaurants, and thus were out of locals' reach. This prompted local diners, like bing sutt and dai pai dong, to localise the British ingredients and create an affordable variant suited to Hongkongers' palates. This included substituting regular milk for evaporated milk, which was cheaper, easier to store, and more concentrated.

A dai pai dong–style restaurant called Lan Fong Yuen () claims that both "silk-stocking" milk tea and yuenyeung were invented in 1952 by its owner, Lum Muk-ho. Its claim for yuenyeung is unverified, but that for silk-stocking milk tea is generally supported.

In its early days, Hong Kong–style milk tea used a much stronger blend of tea leaves and had an extremely strong flavour. This was marketed towards the city's many labourers in the 1940s, who desired a high caffeine content to "replenish their energy". A few decades later in the 1960s, the drink became more widely available at cha chaan teng and thus began to also appeal to office workers, who opted for a less intense tea. This eventually transformed the drink into its current state,

First, hot water at is poured over the tea blend, which is allowed to steep for 12 minutes. The water is poured at a height of to apply sufficient pressure to the leaves, which results in an "even taste" and "fragrant aroma". Eventually, the tea leaves become half afloat, which cues the tea master an idea it says was inspired by the ice buckets used for beers.

Hong Kong–style milk tea is also considered culturally significant in the city and is seen as a symbol of pride among locals.

With this symbolic status, Hong Kong–style milk tea may be considered by some overseas Hongkongers as comfort amid homesickness, providing a reminder of their childhood and identity. For those who have emigrated for political reasons, such as in the exodus that began in 2020, the drink may also be seen as a political statement. To them, drinking Hong Kong–style milk tea is an effort to preserve Hong Kong culture and "a form of silent resistance" amid perceived cultural erasure. In the UK, where many of these emigrants reside, this has led to an increase of Hong Kong–style milk tea brands and cafes.

References

External links

Association of Coffee & Tea Hong Kong

Naming

See also

References

External links