Who else absolutely has to get Thai iced tea every time you go out for Thai food? I LOVE Thai iced tea!

But did you know – because I certainly did not – that Thai iced tea is not actually very Thai?

Apparently tea didn’t even make it to Thailand as a common drink until China brought in tea as a cash crop in the 1980s… which means that my husband is older than Thai iced tea. WHAT.

In Thailand they drank black tea with sweetened condensed milk, but it was Thai chefs in American Thai restaurants trying to appeal to American sensibilities who added orange food coloring, a bunch of spices, and made it way sweeter.

Here we’re all thinking the orange color is some traditional ingredient, and instead they’re just trying to make their drinks Instagrammable before Instagram even existed.

And then it got so popular… that now you can find the American version in Thailand.

What is your favorite Thai food?

Thai Iced Tea

slightly adapted from White on Rice Couple

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup thai tea mix
• ice
• boba (optional)
• a few tbsp half and half, to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Bring the water to a boil. Place the sugar and tea in a cheesecloth bag and add to the boiling water.
2. Boil for 3 minutes, then remove from heat and let steep 30 min.
3. To serve, pour into a glass with ice and/or boba. Add a few tablespoons of half and half, to taste.

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