Hong Kong Milk Tea
港式奶茶 (Góng Sīk Nái Cà)
Strong black tea pulled through a cloth filter and finished with evaporated milk: the cha chaan teng classic.
Hong Kong-style milk tea is a strong blend of black teas, steeped in a cloth sock, poured back and forth, and finished with evaporated milk. The sock gave it the nickname silk-stocking milk tea. Steeped at 97°C for about ten minutes.
Sensory profile
You should taste
How it unfolds
Where it sits
That is 110 mg in one serving (8 oz cup (240ml)), a concentration of 45.8 mg per 100 ml. The scale above ranks whole servings, and servings differ in size, so a larger drink can sit further right while being weaker cup for cup.
Editorial estimate, not a laboratory measurement
Related gear
| Brewing method | Cloth Sock Steep and Pull |
|---|---|
| Brew ratio | 5 parts tea to 2 parts evaporated milk |
| Base & finished drink | 8g → 240g |
| Grind size | Broken Leaf and Dust |
| Water temperature | 207°F / 97°C |
| Target brew time | 10:00-12:00, then pulled |
| Serving | 8 oz cup (240ml) |
What you need
- 8 g broken-leaf black tea
- 200 g filtered water at 97°C
- 70 g evaporated milk
- Sugar, to taste, added at the end
Required gear
- Pot or heatproof jug
- Cloth filter, muslin or a very fine mesh strainer
- Second pot or jug, for pulling
- Thick cup, warmed
- Kettle with temperature control
- Scale accurate to 0.1 g
- Timer
Step-by-step protocol
- 0:00Warm the cup and the pot with hot water, then pour it away.
- 0:30Put 8 g of tea in the cloth filter or in the pot and pour in 200 g of water at 97°C. Cover and start the timer.
- 10:30Lift out the filter, or pour the tea through the cloth into the second pot. Pour it back and forth between the two pots, through the cloth, four times.
- 11:30Put 70 g of evaporated milk in the cup, pour in the hot tea and add sugar to taste.
Troubleshooting
What it may be good for
How strong is it?
We list about 110 mg for an 8 oz cup made with 8 g of leaf. A 2013 study by Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety and Consumer Council measured 73 to 220 mg per cup in cafe milk tea, averaging 170 mg, while a typical 8 oz cup of black tea has about 47 mg. The figure moves with how much leaf is used and how long it steeps.
Pull it four times
Pouring the tea back and forth through the cloth mixes it, adds air and smooths it out. A clean muslin cloth or a very fine mesh strainer can stand in for the sock.
What to watch out for
- Caffeine affects everyone differently. If you are pregnant or nursing, sensitive to caffeine, or have been told to limit it, check with your doctor about how much tea is right for you.
- Hong Kong milk tea is made with evaporated milk, so it contains dairy, and it is usually sweetened at the table.
Hong Kong-style milk tea is a strong blend of black teas, steeped in a cloth sock, poured back and forth, and finished with evaporated milk. The sock gave it the nickname silk-stocking milk tea. Steeped at 97°C for about ten minutes.
Origin & Story
In a Hong Kong cha chaan teng the milk tea arrives in a thick white cup that has been warmed, almost too hot to hold, the color of dark caramel. Behind the counter hangs a long cloth filter shaped like a stocking, stained brown by years of tea, which is exactly what it is.
The drink grew out of British afternoon tea. In the years after the Second World War, Chinese cooks and waiters who had worked in Western-style restaurants adapted tea with milk to local tastes and carried it to street stalls and to the new cha chaan teng, the cheap cafes that spread in the 1950s. Evaporated milk, cheaper and longer-lasting than fresh, took the place of the fresh milk of an English tea table. One cafe, Lan Fong Yuen, says its owner invented the silk-stocking version in 1952.
The method is the point. A blend of broken-leaf black teas is steeped in a cloth bag for about ten minutes, often cited as twelve, in water just off the boil, and then the tea is poured back and forth through the cloth four times. The pulling mixes the tea, adds a little air and smooths the flavor. The cloth starts out white and turns brown with use, which gave the drink its nicknames, silk-stocking and pantyhose tea.
Evaporated milk goes in last, at roughly a quarter to a third of the cup, and sugar is left to the drinker. The result is dark, thick and malty, strong enough that the milk softens the tea without drowning it. Hong Kong's government counts the making of milk tea as part of the city's intangible cultural heritage.
Steep 8 g of broken-leaf black tea in 200 ml of water at 97°C for ten minutes, strain and pull it through a cloth four times, then stir in about 70 ml of evaporated milk.
Reading the Flavor Profile
| Axis | Score |
|---|---|
| Sweetness | 70/100 |
| Acidity | 35/100 |
| Bitterness | 65/100 |
| Body | 90/100 |
| Aroma | 75/100 |
These values are comparative editorial positions within our own catalog, calibrated so entries can be ranked against each other. They are not laboratory measurements.
How much caffeine is in Hong Kong Milk Tea?
One serving, 8 oz cup (240ml), contains approximately 110 mg of caffeine.
What temperature should I use for Hong Kong Milk Tea?
Brew the base at 97°C (207°F). Where the milk is heated, 60–65°C is the target; past about 70°C it tastes scalded and loses its sweetness.
How long should Hong Kong Milk Tea be extracted?
Timing: 10:00-12:00, then pulled. Method: Cloth Sock Steep and Pull. Ratio: 40g leaf per Liter of water (8 g in 200 ml), plus about 70 ml evaporated milk. Grind or leaf format: Broken Leaf and Dust.
Why does my Hong Kong Milk Tea taste bitter?
In a milk drink, bitterness comes from the base (espresso pulled too long or tea steeped too long) or from scorched milk. Brew the base to the stated proportion, and if the milk is heated, stop at 60–65°C.
Why is it called silk-stocking milk tea?
The tea is poured through a long cloth filter that looks like a stocking, and the cloth stains brown with use. Silk-stocking and pantyhose tea are both nicknames for the filter. The cloth is usually cotton, not silk.
Why is Hong Kong milk tea made with evaporated milk?
Evaporated milk was a cheaper, longer-lasting choice than fresh milk when the drink took shape in the mid-1900s. It adds body and a slightly cooked, creamy flavor without thinning the tea.
How is Hong Kong milk tea different from British tea with milk?
It is brewed much stronger, from broken-leaf blends steeped for many minutes and pulled through a cloth, and it is finished with evaporated milk rather than fresh milk. The result is darker, thicker and maltier than a typical British cup.
Who should avoid Hong Kong Milk Tea?
Caffeine affects everyone differently. If you are pregnant or nursing, sensitive to caffeine, or have been told to limit it, check with your doctor about how much tea is right for you. Hong Kong milk tea is made with evaporated milk, so it contains dairy, and it is usually sweetened at the table. This information is educational and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, managing a cardiac or gastrointestinal condition, or taking prescription medication, discuss caffeine and botanical intake with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes.
What people say
Drinks like this one
Yuanyang Coffee Milk Tea
Hong Kong's coffee and milk tea in one cup, about three parts coffee to seven parts tea.
Orthodox Black TeaFujian Lapsang Souchong Black Tea
Dried longan, cocoa and resin: Lapsang Souchong from its home in Tongmu, Fujian.
Orthodox Black TeaMalawi Satemwa Premium Black Tea
Malt, caramel and a bright fruity note from the last of Malawi's founding tea estates.
Orthodox Black TeaNepal Ilam Orthodox Black Tea
Muscat grape, honey and a highland floral lift from the hills of Ilam, where Nepal's tea began.