Why Is Thai Tea Orange? (Full Explanation)

What’s orange, sweet, refreshing, and the perfect drink to complement Thai cuisine? 

It’s Thai tea, which is a delicious drink that’s known for its vibrant orange color.

If you’ve ever seen Thai tea, you may have wondered why Thai tea is orange?

Brew Ceylon black tea, evaporated milk, and spices to make Thai tea. When black tea and evaporated milk combine, it produces a light brown color. Adding spices and tamarind further enhances the color, but these ingredients alone won’t have a vibrant orange color. 

To give Thai tea its unique orange color, people add food coloring, either artificial or natural, as a secret ingredient. It enhances the bright orange color of the tea.

Are you curious about how Thai tea gets its color? Well, read on to find out. This blog will cover the rich history of Thai tea, answer why it is orange, describe the taste profile, and share a simple recipe.

What is Thai Tea?

Thai Tea, also known as Cha Yen, is a uniquely sweet and creamy beverage from Thailand. You’ll know it’s Thai tea because of its signature vibrant orange color. 

Thai tea makes for the perfect summer drink or pairing for any spicy Thai dish. People brew Ceylon black tea with spices like star anise, tamarind, and cardamom to make it. Then, they mix it with condensed milk and sugar to create a rich and creamy texture. Finally, it’s served over ice, making it a refreshing drink for a hot summer day.

Since Thai tea uses black tea, it does contain a low level of caffeine. A standard 8 oz serving of Thai tea contains 25 to 45 mg of caffeine.

The History of Thai Tea

People have been cultivating and consuming tea in many Asian countries for decades, but it was a relatively new discovery in Thailand. In the 1980s, Thai people started importing tea from China as a cash crop to replace opium. It’s unclear who invented Thai tea, but people believe that a Thai leader, influenced by Western culture, created it.

Thai tea has become a staple on the streets of Thailand since then. It’s served alongside many Thai street food vendors, making it the ideal complement to spicy Thai cuisine.

Today, people enjoy Thai tea in different countries across the world. There are even variations of Thai tea that include boba and other toppings. Thai restaurants and cafes serve Thai tea, which can also be purchased as a pre-made mix or ready-to-drink beverage.

Why is Thai Tea Orange?

Thai Tea’s unique bright orange color comes from brewed black tea, evaporated milk, spices, and food coloring. Yes, that’s right, food coloring is added to enhance the color further. Here’s why.

Brewed Ceylon black tea produces dark red and light brown colors when combined with evaporated milk. Adding spices and tamarind will further enhance the color, but these ingredients alone won’t have a vibrant orange color.

The secret ingredient that makes Thai tea orange is food coloring. Typically artificial food coloring is added to create the vibrant orange Thai tea is known for.

However, some home recipes and tea blend use a natural food coloring made from annatto seed extract. This is produced from the achiote tree and is used as a natural dye.

What Does Thai Tea Taste Like?

If you’ve never had Thai tea, then you’re missing out! Thai tea is a delightful, refreshing, sweet drink that tantalizes the taste buds with its unique flavors. 

Thai tea is sweet, creamy, and slightly spicy, with a smooth and silky texture. It’s the perfect thirst quencher on hot days. The sweetness and creaminess perfectly balance the spicy flavors of Thai cuisine. It is refreshing, but the evaporated milk will reduce the spice level.

To understand what Thai tea tastes like, let’s first break down the taste profile of all its separate ingredients.

Alone, brewed Ceylon black tea tastes full-bodied and malty with hints of floral notes. Unlike traditional black tea, it has a softer astringent aftertaste. This makes it the perfect base for making Thai tea.

Thai tea uses various spices, such as star anise, cardamom, and cinnamon. These spices are nutty, earthy, and quite warming. Next is evaporated or condensed milk, making tea creamy and sweet.

The magic of Thai tea is when all these ingredients are combined.

Does the Color Affect the Flavor?

You may be wondering if the orange color of Thai tea will affect the flavor.

Yes, the vibrant orange color can affect the taste of Thai tea. The reason is because of the ingredients used to produce the color itself.

People typically make Thai tea from black tea, spices, and sweetened evaporated milk. The color is produced when brewed black tea and evaporated milk combine. Adding more or less black tea can affect the flavor to add more of a full-bodied flavor while adding more evaporated milk will make your Thai tea much sweeter.

Additionally, most Thai tea recipes use food coloring. The amount and type of food coloring used can affect the taste of the tea, with some people believing that darker tea has a stronger, more bitter flavor. Artificial food coloring doesn’t affect the flavor; natural versions, such as annatto, can add more sweetness.

Also, many Thai tea recipes use natural ingredients such as tamarind to enhance the orange color; Tamaramind is sweet but has a hint of tartness, balancing the sweet flavor.

The Ingredients of Thai Tea

Thai tea is a simple drink to make and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. For the most part, you can find most of the ingredients in your local grocery store or specialty Asian shops.

Here’s a breakdown of the ingredients used to make the perfect serving of Thai tea:

Ceylon black tea: The base of Thai tea is typically a strong black tea that has been brewed and then cooled.

Spices: The tea is flavored with spices such as star anise, cardamom, and cinnamon, which give it a unique and complex flavor.

Condensed/evaporated milk: Sweetened condensed milk is a key ingredient that gives Thai tea a creamy and sweet flavor.

Sweetener: Additional sugar is often added to sweeten the tea taste.

Food coloring: Finally, food coloring is added to enhance its distinct orange color.

How To Make Thai Tea From Scratch

Here’s an easy-to-follow if you’re trying to make Thai tea from scratch. Many of these ingredients are available online or in your local grocery store.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons loose leaf Ceylon black tea
• 1 pod star anise
• 2 pods cardamom
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Tamarind powder
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1-2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (depending on taste preference)

Follow simple instructions:

1. First, choose which method you want to use for the tea: plain Ceylon black tea or pre-made Thai iced tea mix. You can find a pre-made mix on Amazon or a local Asian shop.

2. Gather your spices: star anise, cardamom, cinnamon stick, tamarind powder, and vanilla extract.

3. Next, get evaporated or sweetened condensed milk. These are pretty easy to find, and there are also non-dairy alternatives. 

4. To make the tea, put the tea leaves, star anise, cardamom, cinnamon stick, vanilla extract, tamarind powder and in the boiling water. Let it steep for 5 minutes.

5. Once the tea is steeping, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer or filter and let it cool.

6. Finally, fill a cup with ice and pour the cooled tea about two-thirds of the way full. Add 1 tablespoon of evaporated/condensed milk and stir.

There you have it. It’s as simple as that! This easy recipe makes a delicious, creamy, mildly spiced, sweet drink.

FAQ About The Color of Thai Tea

Some frequently asked questions about Thai tea are listed below. If you’re pondering the same questions, we have the right answers.

Why does Thai tea have food coloring?

Thai tea is usually known for its orange color. Traditional Thai tea uses black tea, spices like star anise, cinnamon, and condensed milk. But why food coloring? Food coloring is added because it produces a much more vibrant orange color. Although the combination of Ceylon black tea and evaporated milk create orange color, food coloring makes it much more vibrant.

Why isn’t my Thai tea orange?

If your Thai tea is missing its distinct orange color, it could be due to a few reasons. The type or quantity of ingredients and the preparation method can affect the color.

Black tea leaves, anise, vanilla, and cardamom are the most popular ingredients used for making Thai tea. Sugar and condensed milk may also change the color.

For example, Ceylon black tea is traditionally used because it produces a reddish color that turns orange once it interacts with evaporated milk. Using a different variation of black tea may not produce the same results.

If your Thai tea isn’t orange, you can add a secret ingredient: food coloring. This is commonly used to enhance the vibrancy of the orange further and gives Thai tea its signature color.

What gives Thai tea its flavor?

Thai tea has a sweet and creamy flavor that many people enjoy. Its distinct flavor comes from spices like star anise, tamarind, and cinnamon. Evaporated milk provides a sweet taste and creamy texture, perfectly complementing Thai food.

Why is Thai tea so good?

Thai tea flaunts an eye-catching orange color that stands out from other teas. Behind its color is a delicious taste that combines black tea, spices like star anise and cinnamon, and food coloring. Topping it with condensed milk creates a creamy sweetness that balances the spicy flavor.

Final Thoughts

You now know why Thai tea is orange. The color comes from adding food coloring and the interaction between Ceylon black tea and evaporated milk. Thai tea is a refreshing and sweetened beverage with strong brewed tea and milk. It is a popular drink in Thailand and surrounding countries.