Cha Yen Recipe –

Authentic Thai Ice tea

Believe me! This simple and easy to do Ice Tea will blow you away! You can buy this sweet and cold drink at street stalls all over Thailand and it is super yummy.If you like Indian Chai this might be your next favorite. Cha Yen has this unique taste that you won´t find anywhere else. The reason for this taste is the Ceylon tea leafs. To get the most authentic flavor it would be perfect to get the ” Number One” brand as the majority of the Thai people are using this tea mix. It is a combination of spices and Ceylon tea which gives this remarkable taste that brings you back to Siam straight away

I have learned the recipe on the streets of Nong Kai while i was having breakfast a very simple Thai restaurant.The owner was a very friendly woman who made a fantastic icetea for me. When i told her that i desperately want to learn the recipe of ‘Cha Yen’ she smiled and invited me over to her place to watch her doing it. I jumped on my bike and quickly brought my camera to capture how she did it 🙂 I hope you will like it! This is how she did it:

Here is what you need to make yourself a glass of this sweetness:

-Thai Number One Brand Tea Mix

-sweet condensed milk

– normal Milk

-Crushed Ice

-Sugar (optional)

-Start boiling the tea in water for a couple of minutes and use a strainer to take out the leafs. Once the tea is boild it has a strong red colour and already smells sweet. You can get an idea of how it will taste later!

To the hot tea add sweet condensed milk and stir. You will realise that the colour turns lighter into orange-brown. Have a first taste to see if it is too sweet or not sweet enough. You also have to consider that once you pour the mixture into a glass filled with crushed iced, the tea will loose a bit of its sweetness.

Now prepare a glass with crushed ice and pour the tea into it until the glass is almost full. Make sure the glass is completely filled with Ice. When you pour in the tea leave a bit of space for the Milk. Just a dash!

The Cha Yen is now done! Serve the drink with a straw and enjoy!

If you ever make it up north to Nong kai don´t miss to visit “Aey” at the “Hornbill Bookshop”  Aey is the owner and she has a great collection of books and postcards. Also you will get the best Pasta in Thailand 🙂 Her bookshop is a beautiful place to spend an afternoon reading a book on her terrace while her lovely cat is sleeping peacefully under your seat.