The Hong Kong Way to Make Coffee 10x Better

It's a familiar scene. You wake up in the morning, head to the kitchen or you drag your sleepy soul out the door straight to your go-to coffee shop. Then you proceed to make the first of many choices you will make that day, but this inaugural one really does set the tone for it all. What will it be: coffee or tea?

There are people who are firmly in one camp but then there are the folks who exist in the middle of the Venn diagram who love both forms of caffeine. Prior to this point, it seemed that you had to choose coffee or tea, but what if there was another option?

If you're looking for a way to have both coffee and tea without doubling-fisting two mugs (awkward!), look no further than Hong Kong-style coffee milk tea. 

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What is Hong Kong-Style Coffee Milk Tea?

Yuanyang, or coffee milk tea, is the best of both caffeinated beverage worlds. This classic Hong Kong drink is a one-two punch of caffeine made by combining black tea and black coffee, then adding evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk. My friend's family hails from Hong Kong and she tells me yuanyang was her and her older brother's go-to drink order at a Hong Kong-style bakery in New York City.

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In her recipe for yuanyang on Saveur, writer Megan Zhang explains, "the drink is a hallmark of cha chaan teng, Hong Kong-style diners that emerged around the 1950s" during which time the British occupied the island. Food and drinks, such as Hong Kong French toast and coffee milk tea, both of which fused the nation's culture with the looming Western influence were created during this time of colonial rule and still have a big presence in today's Hong Kong food culture.

While yuanyang translates to coffee milk tea, it has another meaning. Says the food blog The Woks of Life, "the name directly translates to “Lovebirds Tea,” so in other words: Coffee + Tea 4 eva." Well said!

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How to Make Hong-Style Coffee Milk Tea

To make this coffee milk tea, you will need black tea (loose leaves or tea bags) and black coffee. You will also need sugar (or your favorite sweetener) and your dairy of choice: milk, half and half, evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk.

Brew some black tea and stir in a tablespoon or two of your choice of dairy and sweetener. Then in another cup, make an equal amount of black coffee. Add the coffee to the cup of milk tea. Serve hot or pour over ice and serve cold.

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What I Thought About Hong Kong-Style Coffee Milk Tea

My friend lovingly describes this coffee milk tea to me as "weak coffee but refreshing" and she hit the nail on the head.

The combination of coffee and tea was well-balanced, but the earthy mellowness of the tea really canceled out the bitterness of the coffee, which I really appreciated. The spoonful of evaporated milk I used was small but mighty, lending a creamy body to the drink. Honestly, I could have added some more! While I used the ingredients available to me at home, I'm curious to try Hong Kong-style milk tea with sweetened condensed milk.

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