Picture of the Day: Hong Kong Style Milk Tea

Milk tea with condensed milk at the bottom

Every cha chaan teng in Hong Kong has its own secret recipe on how to make milk tea. It depends on what kind of tea leaves they use to brew the tea, how much milk is added, what kind of milk, and how much sugar.

As a result everyone has his or her own particular preferences of where they like to have their favourite caffeinated drink.

My friend recently took me to Wai Kee Noodle Cafe 维记加菲粉面 in Sham Shui Po where we had her favourite milk tea.

Milk tea champagne at Tsui Wah

Actually it's called 茶酒 or "milk tea wine" because it's a bit more expensive and smoother because at the bottom of the mug is a layer of condensed milk that is sweeter than the usual milk tea.

And it's so addictive. I couldn't stop drinking it, which of course left me feeling jittery afterwards from the strong tea and the extra sugar.

Well known cha chaan teng chain Tsui Wah has taken the idea of "milk tea wine" and calls it "milk tea champagne", even serving it in a glass bottle complete with a wine bucket with ice to keep it cool... and sophisticated for a cafe...