How to Make Milk Tea with Assam Black Tea

What is Milk Tea?

Milk tea is tea mixed with milk, creamer, or other dairy alternatives. The type of tea used (such as black, green, white, or oolong) and the amount and kind of milk can vary widely depending on culture, region, and personal preference. It may be served hot or cold and is often sweetened with sugar or honey. Some versions include additional ingredients like spices, condensed or evaporated milk, or tapioca pearls.

Milk tea has developed many regional forms around the world. Examples include Chai milk tea in India (tea with milk and spices), Yuen Yeung (Hong Kong–style milk tea with strong black tea and condensed or evaporated milk), and bubble tea from Taiwan (often sweet, iced, and served with tapioca pearls). Overall, milk tea refers broadly to any tea-based beverage that includes milk as a key ingredient, with numerous cultural variations.

What types of tea can you use to make milk teas?

You can use all our teas to make milk teas.

Black tea

This is the most common classic milk tea base because it balances out the sweetness and creaminess of the added milk or creamer. If you were to use a green tea base, the milk could take over the tea-flavour. If you like a strong tea flavour, black tea is your go to. Think of Kenyan, Earl Grey Or Assam Black Tea.

Black tea tastes bold and strong, kind of rich and malty. You can really taste the tea itself, and it has a full, robust flavor that stands up well if you add milk.

Green tea

Green tea can be used for a milk tea base, but the milk may dominate the delicate flavor of the tea. Some people prefer this subtler tea taste, where the creaminess of the milk stands out more. It ultimately depends on personal preference.

Green tea tastes lighter and more delicate. It has a fresh, grassy, slightly vegetal taste, and is subtle, so milk can easily dominate it if you add any.

Oolong tea

Oolong tea falls between black and green tea in strength. It’s milder than black tea but stronger than green, making it a good compromise for those unsure which to choose. Dark Roasted Oolong is the most common variety used in milk tea.

Depending on the type, oolong tea can taste floral, fruity, or a little toasty, with layers of different flavours.

What is Assam Black Tea?

Assam black tea is one of the most popular black tea types to create a classic milk tea. According to Tea Board India, Assam tea gives you a proper wake-up kick because it is strong and full-bodied. Once you brew it, it develops a deep amber colour and tastes malty and robust. This tea goes perfectly with milk and sugar, just like a classic milk tea. You can even make classic milk tea in just three simple steps. Learn how to make classic milk tea in just 3 steps.

Aroma

Several aroma compounds are found in assam black tea that give it that sweet, malty, floral, and slightly fruity aroma, even though they are present in tiny amounts. A breakdown of those compounds are:

Linalool and Linalool Oxides – give a sweet, floral, and citrusy/lemon-like aroma.
Geraniol – contributes a rose-like scent and floral flavour.
Phenylacetaldehyde – adds hyacinth-like floral notes.
Phenylethyl alcohol – gives fruity and honey-like sweetness.
Methyl salicylate – provides a minty, wintergreen-like undertone.
Benzaldehyde – gives a fruity and almond-like smell.
(E)-2-octenal – a specific odorant identified as significant for Assam black tea.

Colour

Assam black tea gets its dark colour mainly through oxidation during processing.

It starts as fresh green leaves. First, the leaves are left out to dry slightly, which makes them soft and starts small chemical changes.
Next, the leaves are rolled or crushed, which breaks the cells and lets these chemicals mix with the air. This makes the leaves turn a coppery brown.
Then, the leaves go through fermentation, where more chemical changes happen and the brown colour becomes darker and richer.
Finally, the leaves are heated to dry them, which stops the changes and makes the leaves deep brown or black, ready to brew.

Use in Milk Tea

Assam tea is a perfect base for classic and brown sugar milk tea. It counterbalances the sweet, sugary taste of creamer and sugar perfectly. You can also use this tea for flavoured milk teas. Generally, flavoured milk teas are made with a water base instead of a tea base. However, depending on which flavour, it can also balance out the fruit flavour.

Recommended ratios:

regular bubble tea serving (500ml): 200ml tea
large bubble tea serving (700ml): 300ml tea

Learn how to make an Original Milk Tea in the video below.