How Long To Steep Thai Iced Tea For The Absolute Best Taste

If you've ever gone out to eat at a Thai restaurant, you likely know that there's nothing more refreshing than a tall glass of Thai iced tea. The iconic beverage, with its distinctive orange hue, boasts several robust flavors that make it stand out from other types of tea. This includes the warm, aromatic flavors of cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, and tamarind combined with the sweet and creamy flavors of sweetened condensed milk.

While a refreshing Thai iced tea is a show-stopping beverage sure to wow your guests, it's crucial to know how long it should be steeped for the absolute best taste. Because the flavors of the black tea and spices are so strong, they only need to be steeped in boiling water for 5 minutes. After those 5 minutes have elapsed, remove the tea and spices. Once removed, cool the brewed beverage in the refrigerator for a few hours or until properly chilled. Top with your favorite sweetened condensed milk, half and half, or evaporated milk, and enjoy!

Because Thai iced tea requires such a long time to chill in the refrigerator, you might assume that the drink could be prepared using a cold brew technique. Interestingly, while this brewing method requires little effort, it can dull the bold flavors needed for the classic Thai iced tea. When tea leaves are added to boiling water, the heat quickly extracts the tea's flavor-packed molecules, resulting in an efficient brewing process with the most possible flavor. When cold brewing tea, the molecules move significantly slower, which can result in a weaker flavor in the end product. Not only that, but steeping your Thai tea in boiling water can potentially kill off any bacterial contaminants in your dried tea leaves, especially if it's been sitting on the shelf for a long time.

After you've made your Thai iced tea, you can store it in a large pitcher in the fridge for up to a week, so long as there's no added milk. If you can't get enough of your Thai iced tea's unique flavor, it can easily be added to many desserts, such as ice cream or layer cakes. For a game-changing take on a modern breakfast classic, try making some Thai iced tea overnight oats. No matter how you enjoy it, Thai iced tea is sure to make your next afternoon tea more delicious.