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This Southeast Asian sweet drink, locally known as teh tarik or “pulled tea”, is a blast to make. Test your pouring skills to the max for the perfect froth on top of this amazing 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: Iced teh tarik in summer is the best!
Either way, it’s the perfect sidekick to spicy Asian dishes like Vietnamese Ca Ri Ga or Thai panang curry.
This morning we decided it was high time we recreated this recipe because:
- We love hot frothy teh tarikduring our Southeast Asian adventures and we love the buzz
- Because we absolutely needed to have one again right now!
Related: Thai Iced Tea / Matcha Latte / Kopi Tarik
What You’ll Need
Just three ingredients for this delectable drink – tea, condensed milk and water.
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.
It’s similar in flavour to Malaysian 3 Layer Tea (Teh 3 Peng), except where Teh Tarik uses condensed milk, 3 Layer Tea is sweetened with gula melaka (palm sugar syrup).
How to Make Teh Tarik at Home
- Place teabags or loose tea in a strainer 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. Strain through a cloth if necessary.
- Add 2 tbsp condensed milk and stir until spoon is clean.
To Pull the Tea:
(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.
Wandercook’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
- 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.
- Milk Tea Milo – Add Milo powder to your coffee before pulling, or serve with undissolved milo powder on top, just like a Milo dinosaur!
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 
if you have one.
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 Asian drinks? Give these a try next:
★ Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and 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 amazing bitter sweet teh tarik recipe.
5 from 11 votes
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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
Course: Drink
Cuisine: Malaysian
Servings: 2 drinks
Calories: 64kcal
Author: Wandercooks
Cost: $2
Ingredients
- 250 ml boiling water
- 2 black tea bags or ½ tbsp of loose black tea leaves
- 2 tbsp condensed milk
- Ice optional
Metric – US Customary
Instructions
Place teabags (or tea strainer and loose leaves) into 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.
2 black tea bags, 250 ml boiling water
Add 2 tbsp condensed milk and stir until spoon is clean.
2 tbsp condensed milk
For "pulling" the teh tarik:
(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.
Ice
Video
Recipe Notes
- 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.
- 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!
- 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
Nutrition Facts
Teh Tarik Recipe – Malaysian Pulled Tea
Amount per Serving
Calories
64
% Daily Value*
Fat
3
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
6
%
Cholesterol
7
mg
2
%
Sodium
32
mg
1
%
Potassium
74
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
11
g
4
%
Sugar
11
g
12
%
Protein
2
g
4
%
Vitamin A
53
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
57
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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
About Wandercooks
Wandercooks is an Australian recipe site reaching over 9 million views annually. Our recipes are here to inspire you with fresh and exciting food ideas from a range of Asian, European and Australian cuisines. As seen on Google.com, Today.com, Buzzfeed, Jetstar Asia and Lonely Planet.Read more...
