Saturday, August 7, 2010
Food In Singapore 17: Teh Tarik

In this post I will not be talking about a dish, but instead a drink, known as Teh Tarik.




What's Teh Tarik?
Some of you people may not know what is Teh Tarik, as it is in Malay language.It is a hot tea beverage that can be found in Malaysia and Singapore. Its name is derived from the interesting pouring process of "pulling" the drink during preparation. It is made from black tea and condensed milk.

Interestingly, the preparation of Teh Tarik can be considered a performance. The ability to drag a long stream of tea well over their heads seems to be a very popular act

In Malaysia, Teh Tarik brewers oftenly get together to perform and participate in competition.



Preparation of the Teh Tarik
The mixture of black tea and condensed milk is poured back and forth repeatedly between two vessels from a height, giving it a thick frothy top. This process cools the tea to drinking temperatures, and helps to thoroughly mix the tea with the condensed milk. It is also done to enhance the taste of the tea.

This drink is a fairly simple (and yet difficult) drink to prepare. The steps are simple, but not everyone can do the pulling (pouring the tea back and forth) of the tea.

Personal Opinion

Personally I prefer looking at people prepare this drink more than I drinking it. I am the type of "spectator" that will never get bored of people brewing Teh Tarik. This is because I believe that each tea brewer has his own style and method of brewing, so each brewing method will be unique. Thus, it has always been a pleasure to watch people brew Teh Tarik - you'll probably not watch the same thing twice.

When it comes to the taste, I feel that it should not taste too milky as it will put people off; it should not taste too sweet as it will ruin the entire taste of the tea. I feel that the froth at the top is really nice and the Teh Tarik will never survive without it. A good Teh Tarik should feel frothy, smooth and sweet to a certain extent.

Food for Thought
This drink is usually prepared by Malay stall vendors. Have you seen any Chinese vendor prepare this drink? (I'm not trying to be racist or anything)

Credits:
http://jeffonthe.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/teh-tarik.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teh_tarik
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