Recipe
🥤 DRINK
Teh Tarik
Strong black tea and condensed milk "pulled" between two vessels into a thick foam, Malaysia's beloved frothy milk tea.
Malaysian · medium · serves 4
prep 5 min · cook 8 min
~125 cal · 3g protein · 21g carbs · 4g fat · 0g fiber · 21g sugars · 2g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Teh tarik, "pulled tea", is Malaysia's beloved national drink, and its name comes from the theatrical way it is made. Strong black tea, brewed dark and often drawn through a cloth filter, is mixed with sweetened condensed milk and then "pulled": poured back and forth between two vessels from as great a height as the maker dares.
That pulling is both showmanship and technique. The long pour aerates and cools the tea and whips up a thick, frothy, cappuccino-like head, while blending the milk and tea smoothly; skilled mamak stallhands turn it into a piece of street theatre, arms flung wide as the ribbon of tea arcs through the air.
Made at mamak stalls and kopitiams across the country from morning to late night, it is comfort, caffeine, and sociability in one glass, the drink around which friends linger and conversations unfold. Sweet, strong, and frothy, teh tarik is Malaysia in a cup.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally vegetarian and gluten-, nut-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 4
3 tbsp strong black tea
3 cups water
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
1
Steep the black tea in the just-boiled water for 4-5 minutes until very strong, then strain.
2
Stir the condensed milk into the hot tea until fully dissolved.
3
Pour the tea back and forth between two jugs from as high as you dare to build a thick foam.
4
Pour into glasses with the froth on top and serve hot.
Malaysian mamak-stall tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Penang. Nasi kandar really did begin here, sold by Tamil Muslim vendors who carried rice and curries slung from a shoulder pole, which is what kandar describes. Penang assam laksa is the other local signature and contains no coconut milk at all, being a sour broth of mackerel and tamarind rather than a curry.
🗺️
Malaysia. Malaysian food is a delicious crossroads of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cuisines, from coconut nasi lemak to laksa noodle soups and char kway teow. Sambal, pandan, and rich curries define its multicultural, hawker-driven table.
🌍
Asia. Fermentation is the thread that runs the whole way across: soy sauce and miso, Korean doenjang and kimchi, Southeast Asian fish sauces, the soured batter behind an idli. Chilli is the newcomer among them, arriving only after 1500 with Portuguese and Spanish traders, which makes the heat in Sichuan, Thai and Korean cooking far younger than the fermenting underneath it.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Malaysia
Char Kway TeowFlat rice noodles seared in a screaming wok with prawns, egg, chives, and dark soy, Penang’s hawker crown.
Nasi LemakFragrant coconut rice with spicy sambal, fried anchovies, peanuts, cucumber, and egg, Malaysia's national breakfast.
Penang Asam LaksaA tart, spicy mackerel-and-tamarind noodle soup topped with pineapple, mint, and ginger flower, Penang's iconic bowl.
Browse all Malaysia recipes →
Good to know
Storing it: Keep chilled and covered, and enjoy within 2 to 3 days.
Make it a Malaysia meal
Char Kway TeowDinner
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Drinks
Frequently asked questions
What is Teh Tarik?
Strong black tea and condensed milk "pulled" between two vessels into a thick foam, Malaysia's beloved frothy milk tea.
Where does Teh Tarik come from?
Teh Tarik is a Malaysian dish from Penang, Malaysia.
Can Teh Tarik be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Teh Tarik recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Teh Tarik safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Teh Tarik take to make?
About 13 minutes total (5 minutes prep, 8 minutes cooking), serving 4.
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