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Mongolian

Suutei tsai (Mongolian salty milk tea)

Vegetarian

Сүүтэй цай · süütei tsai

Green brick tea boiled with milk and a pinch of salt, ladled high to aerate it. Served to every guest in Mongolia and drunk throughout the day.

Suutei tsai (Mongolian salty milk tea) is a Mongolian hot drink, ready in about 12 minutes and made with green tea leaves and milk. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
2 min
Cook
10 min
Total
12 min
Serves
4
Level
Beginner
Calories
47

Ingredients

4 cups

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Bring 700 ml water to the boil, add the crumbled tea and boil for 3 minutes until dark.

  2. Step 2

    Add the milk (opens in a new tab) and bring back to the boil. Using a ladle, scoop up the tea and pour it back from a height repeatedly for a couple of minutes to aerate it.

    • 4 min
    • medium heat

    Food safety: Take care pouring boiling liquid from a height.

  3. Step 3

    Stir in the salt (and butter (opens in a new tab), if using), strain and serve hot.

    Liquid being strained through a sieve
    How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Mongolia · Well documentedMore food from Mongolia
Dish
Breakfast · Snack · Hot drinks
Cooking method
Boiled
Taste
salty, creamy, mild
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Green tea leaves · Milk
Techniques
Boiling

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom milk, butter

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

47 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 253 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 20%
  • Carbohydrate 32%
  • Fat 48%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy47 kcal19 kcal
Protein2.4 g1 g
Carbohydrate3.7 g1.5 g
Net carbohydrate3.7 g1.5 g
Sugars3.9 g1.5 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre0 g0 g
Fat2.5 g1 g
Saturated fat1.4 g0.6 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol8 mg3 mg
Sodium328 mg130 mg
Salt equivalent0.8 g0.3 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
102 mg
Calcium
105 mg
Iron
0 mg
Magnesium
11 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
36 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
1 µg
Vitamin B12
0.3 µg
Folate (DFE)
4 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: butter.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): green 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

  • The ladling and pouring from height is part of the method — it aerates the tea and blends in the milk.
  • Start with less salt; the tea should be gently salty, not briny.

Common mistakes

  • Boiling the milk hard for a long time, which can catch on the base.

Storage

  • Best drunk fresh. Leftovers keep 1 day in the fridge; reheat until steaming.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sip & Blend

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

Used in step 2

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

Customise in Sip & Blend

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