Cha Nom Yen: Authentic Thai Iced Tea

First in my sweet tooth, bottoms up saga is this bad boy. One sip and I was head over heels. Hook, line and sinker. Why wait going to a Thai restaurant just to have iced tea?

It's funny how people change. Before my nomadic life in Bangkok, I wasn't much of a sweet tooth fiend. Then, I discovered this drink made from heaven. I was hesitant at first. Of course. But the inviting, sweet and bitter aroma wafting in the air, people lining up, a vendor doing some magic concoction and the immediate happy faces it brings - got my curious side run wild. One sip and I went gaga over it. 

If you get to visit Thailand, make sure to get one of these. It is Thai Black Tea, and this will be our main ingredient. A lot of people actually wonder why the outcome is so orangey, the answer? Food coloring.

In addition to that, you must have a tea sock (cheesecloth or muslin will do), straw, shit tons of ice, milk, sugar and a dash of salt. 

It is joy in a cup. A magic potion that easily expelled the 22 years of bad vibes I was harboring. A drink that can turn you from Squidward to Spongebob real quick.

Here is my Thai Iced Tea, Bangkok street food style.

Cha Nom Yen Recipe Ingredients 1 cup of hot boiling water 1 tablespoon Thai black tea 2 teaspoons sweetened condensed milk 3 teaspoons evaporated milk (plus some more to sprinkle on top) 3 teaspoons sugar 1 cup of crushed ice A little pinch of salt Procedure 1. Steep your tea. Using a tea sock, put it over a container big enough that you can move the sock in and out. Pour hot water over, and just let the leaves brew for a few minutes. 2. Mix in sugar, a dash of salt, sweetened condensed milk as well as evaporated milk (I prefer carnation brand on both), and stir it up until it's a nice creamy mixture. 3. Pour the mixture in a tall glass of ice. Enjoy! **The thing about thai iced tea is you make it piping hot, then cool it down with a glass of ice. **For presentation purposes, I like to have my glass of ice, add condensed milk in a spiral motion, pour in my tea mixture (with only salt and sugar mixed in) then, add my evaporated milk to have that three layer effect. **Remember, since you will be pouring your hot tea over ice, you can make it a little sweeter than you think, as it will become watered down from the ice.