Teh Tarik Recipe – Malaysian Pulled Tea

This Southeast Asian sweet drink, locally known as teh tarik or “pulled tea”, is a blast to make in the kitchen (or out on the back lawn where it’s safe). Test your pouring skills to the max for the perfect froth on top of this addictive bitter sweet teh tarik recipe.

Why We Love This Recipe

Teh Tarik is pure bittersweet tea deliciousness whether you serve it hot or over ice. Hint hint: iced Teh Tarik in summer is the bessssst and totally addictive.

Either way, it’s the perfect sidekick to your favourite spicy Asian dish.

This morning we decided it was high time we recreated this recipe because:

• We are totally addicted to hot frothy teh tarik during our Southeast Asian adventures and we love the buzz

• Because we absolutely needed to have one again like right now.

What is Teh Tarik?

Teh Tarik (aka “pulled tea” in Malay) is a strong, hot tea mixed with sweet and creamy condensed milk that’s repeatedly poured (‘pulled’) between two cups or mugs until it transforms into rich, frothy tea heaven.

This process of ‘pulling’ Malaysian tea between two containers is the key to creating that lusciously thick and silky smooth texture.

How to Make Teh Tarik at Home

• Place teabags in a mug and pour over boiling water. Steep for a few minutes until tea is dark and intense, then allow to cool for a few more minutes.
• Add 2 tbsp condensed milk and stir until spoon is clean.

For the adventurous:

(Caution: Please be careful with hot tea to avoid a nasty burn!)

• Pour the tea into a stainless steel jug, then pour into a mug or tea glass. Try to gain as much height as possible while pouring. Repeat until tea is frothy.
• Serve hot or over plenty of ice for a chilled summer drink.

Cook’s Tips

• Carefully increase the height as you pour the tea between the two jugs. This will help your aim get better as you go, but also help the tea become more and more frothy. 
• For a delicious winter drink, serve hot! For a refreshing summer alternative, serve over ice. 

FAQs

Does teh tarik have caffeine?

When made with regular black tea, teh tarik does contain caffeine. Black tea is naturally lower in caffeine than coffee

What is the difference between teh tarik vs milk tea?

Teh tarik is usually less sweet than other styles of milk tea as it is made with condensed milk only. Some styles of milk tea are made with condensed milk AND sugar – definitely a treat for the sweet-tooths out there!

Variations & Substitutes

• Instead of using the traditional pulling method, you can get a similar frothy effect with a handheld milk frother or the steam wand on a coffee machine (which helps if you’re worried about messy kitchens or burnt hands). You can also use a tea infuser if you have one.
• Authentic teh tarik uses tea dust or loose leaf tea strained in a cotton tea strainer, however our homemade version uses tea bags for a quick, convenient alternative.

But seriously, however you go about achieving it, you NEED the frothiness guys. It’s what makes this drink so awesome.

Just promise us you won’t go pouring hot tea all over yourselves. 

And now it’s your turn! Go make your very own Teh Tarik and enjoy that frothy goodness. We want to see your photos, so snap away and tag us in @wandercooks. And most importantly, have fun!

Can you beat my awesome pouring pattern? 😉

Got a craving for more sweet South East Asian recipes? Give these a go:

• Vietnamese Coffee (Ca Phe Sua Da)
• Thai Pink Milk with Sala Syrup
• Mango Coconut Sticky Rice
• Agar Agar Jelly with Coconut 

★ Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating below!

Teh Tarik Recipe - Malaysian Pulled Tea

This Southeast Asian sweet drink, locally known as teh tarik or "pulled tea", is a blast to make in the kitchen (or out on the back lawn where it’s safe). Test your pouring skills to the max for the perfect froth on top of this addictive bitter sweet teh tarik recipe.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Course: Drink

Cuisine: Malaysian

Servings: 2 drinks

Calories: 64kcal

Author: Wandercooks

Cost: $2

Equipment

• 2 tea mugs or cups
• Kettle
• Stainless steel jug for pouring to "pull" the tea

Ingredients

• 250 ml boiling water
• 2 black tea bags
• 2 tbsp condensed milk
• Ice optional

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Place teabags in a mug and pour over boiling water. Steep for a few minutes until tea is dark and intense, then allow to cool for a few more minutes.
• Add 2 tbsp condensed milk and stir until spoon is clean.

For the adventurous:

• (Caution: Please be careful with hot tea to avoid a nasty burn!)
• Pour the tea into a stainless steel jug, then pour into a mug or tea glass. Try to gain as much height as possible while pouring. Repeat until tea is frothy.
• Serve hot or over plenty of ice for a chilled summer drink.

Notes

Tips

• Carefully increase the height as you pour the tea between the two jugs. This will help your aim get better as you go, but also help the tea become more and more frothy. 
• For a delicious winter drink, serve hot! For a refreshing summer alternative, serve over ice. 

 

FAQs

• Does teh tarik have caffeine? When made with regular black tea, teh tarik does contain caffeine. Black tea is naturally lower in caffeine than coffee
• What is the difference between teh tarik vs milk tea? Teh tarik is usually less sweet than other styles of milk tea as it is made with condensed milk only. Some styles of milk tea are made with condensed milk AND sugar - definitely a treat for the sweet-tooths out there!

 

Variations & Substitutes

• Instead of using the traditional pulling method, you can get a similar frothy effect with a handheld milk frother or the steam wand on a coffee machine (which helps if you’re worried about messy kitchens or burnt hands). You can also use a tea infuser if you have one.
• Authentic teh tarik uses tea dust or loose leaf tea strained in a cotton tea strainer, however our homemade version uses tea bags for a quick, convenient alternative.

Nutrition

Calories: 64kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 32mg | Potassium: 74mg | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 53IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 57mg

Hey hey – Did you make this recipe?We’d love it if you could give a star rating below ★★★★★ and show us your creations on Instagram! Snap a pic and tag @wandercooks / #Wandercooks