Hong Kong milk tea

Name: Hong Kong milk tea
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 600 ml water; 16 g black tea leaves; 120 ml evaporated milk; 2 tbsp sugar; 200 g ice (optional)

Vegetarian

港式奶茶 · gong sik naai caa

Very strong black tea, strained repeatedly through a cloth for smoothness, mixed with evaporated milk and sugar. The rich, bracing drink of Hong Kong's cha chaan teng cafés.

Hong Kong milk tea is a Hong Kong hot drink, ready in about 10 minutes and made with black tea leaves and evaporated milk. It serves 2 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep: 2 min
Cook: 8 min
Total: 10 min
Serves: 2
Level: Easy
Calories: 135

Ingredients

2 cups

600 ml Water (opens in a new tab)Reduces to about 500 ml of very strong tea.
16 g Black tea leaves (opens in a new tab)About 4 tbsp loose black tea (Ceylon blend).
120 ml Evaporated milk (opens in a new tab)Contains milk
2 tbsp (25 g) Sugar (opens in a new tab)Swap: Sweetened condensed milk (Use instead of sugar for 'cha chow' (condensed milk tea).)
200 g Ice (opens in a new tab) (optional)For iced milk tea.

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Bring 600 ml water to the boil, add the loose tea and simmer gently for 5 minutes to make a very strong brew.
- 6 min
- medium-low heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Pour the tea through a fine cloth or sieve into a jug, then pour it back and forth between jug and pan 4–5 times to smooth and aerate it.
- 2 min
- Sieve / strainer (opens in a new tab)
Food safety: Pour carefully — the tea is just off the boil.
How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels
3
Step 3
Divide the evaporated milk (opens in a new tab) and sugar (opens in a new tab) between cups, pour in the hot tea and stir. For iced tea, cool slightly and pour over ice.
- 1 min

About this dish

Origin: Hong Kong · Well documentedMore food from Hong Kong
Dish: Breakfast · Snack · Hot drinks
Cooking method: Boiled
Taste: bitter, creamy, sweet
Diet: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · Low-sodium
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Everyday
Cook more with: Black tea leaves · Evaporated milk · Sugar
Techniques: Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

Contains: Milkfrom evaporated milk

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

135 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 377 g · recipe makes 2

Where the energy comes from

Protein 13%
Carbohydrate 55%
Fat 32%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	135 kcal	36 kcal
Protein	4.4 g	1.2 g
Carbohydrate	19 g	5 g
Net carbohydrate	19 g	5 g
Sugars	19 g	5 g
Added sugars	12.6 g	3.3 g
Fibre	0 g	0 g
Fat	4.9 g	1.3 g
Saturated fat	2.9 g	0.8 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	19 mg	5 mg
Sodium	74 mg	20 mg
Salt equivalent	0.2 g	0 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 195 mg
Calcium: 198 mg
Iron: 0.1 mg
Magnesium: 21 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 42 µg
Vitamin C: 1 mg
Vitamin D: 1.3 µg
Vitamin B12: 0.1 µg
Folate (DFE): 5 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: ice.
Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): black tea leaves.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

A tea blend with some broken-leaf Ceylon gives the classic colour and body.

Common mistakes

Using fresh milk instead of evaporated — it gives a thin, watery tea.
Stewing the tea too long, which makes it harsh rather than strong.

Storage

Best drunk fresh. Strained tea keeps 2 days in the fridge for iced milk tea.

Variations

Yuenyeung (Hong Kong): Mix milk tea with an equal amount of strong coffee.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 27 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Evaporated milk120 ml · 128 g

Used in step 3

Less sweet, dairy-free, caffeine-free or for more people — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sip & Blend

Reviews & corrections

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