Thai Tea

Where it comes from

Thai tea began on Yaowarat Road, where a Teochew tea-trading family found hot Chinese tea a hard sell in the tropics. In 1945 they blended a red tea meant to be brewed strong, sweetened and poured over ice — the birth of cha yen. Condensed and evaporated milk, pantry-stable in the heat, gave it the creamy crown; the blend's roasted, spiced notes give the famous amber glow. One sip, and you are on a Bangkok sidewalk.