How to make a hot vanilla latte and pick the right tea base?

A milk tea or tea latte depends on a tea base strong enough to survive milk. The longer a black tea is fermented, the more tannins it holds, so the brew tastes more intense and astringent. Assam, Ceylon, Kenyan and CTC black teas all fit, because their body is not lost once milk is added.

For frothing, the goal is fine, stable microfoam rather than stiff peaks, so a few seconds of steady steaming matters more than a long stretch. Before adding milk to any tea, taste it plain first, then decide. Ruby black tea and malty Formosa Assam also hold up well with milk.

To make an excellent cup of milk tea, the choice of tea base is crucial. The more heavily fermented the black tea, the richer its tannin content, the stronger its taste, and the better it blends with milk without losing its tea character. From finely granulated CTC black tea to whole-leaf Assam, Ceylon, and Kenyan black teas, tea leaves from different regions each have their own distinctive features. This article will guide you through which black teas are suitable for pairing with milk and introduce the diverse ways milk tea is made around the world, including tea lattes, bubble tea, Hong Kong-style milk tea, masala chai, and other classic drinks, helping you find the perfect cup of milk tea for you.

Teas Suitable for Pairing with Milk

The longer tea leaves are fermented, the more tannins they contain, so the brew has a more intense flavor and a more pronounced astringency—strong enough to stand up to milk. Many black tea blends, such as breakfast tea, are typically recommended to be brewed and then enjoyed with milk added. These teas are deliberately blended to be thick and robust, able to withstand the dilution and coating effect of milk.

There is another type of black tea that releases a rich flavor with quick brewing—these are called CTC, short for "Crush, Tear, Curl." CTC black tea is processed into tiny granules that rapidly release their contents when steeped in hot water. Because of this extremely high brewing efficiency, it is more than suitable for adding milk.

In addition, whole-leaf black teas can also be enjoyed with milk, such as Assam, Ceylon, and Kenyan black teas. Strong black teas like China's Keemun are also worth trying.

Any boldly flavored black tea can be taken with milk, but we suggest first tasting each tea on its own to appreciate its original flavor before deciding whether to add milk. If after tasting you feel it's better with milk, then by all means go ahead—drinking tea should be about following your own preferences. But the prerequisite is that you must try the version without milk first.

Ruby black tea, with its pronounced sweetness and full-bodied flavor, is also well suited to pairing with milk. Front Street Coffee's Shimen Breakfast Tea and Formosa Assam also perform excellently. Formosa Assam carries malt and fruity notes, and if you plan to drink it with milk, its richness can fully hold its own.

Tea Varieties and the Use of Milk

There are all kinds of hot and cold tea drinks around the world. Here are several common ways to enjoy them:

Tea Latte — Choose any type of tea and add steamed milk or milk foam. Sweetness is up to you.

Bubble Tea — A milk tea drink originating from Taiwan, featuring the globally popular tapioca pearls. Usually served cold with a certain degree of sweetness.

Hong Kong-style Milk Tea — Made by mixing strong tea with condensed milk, typically served hot.

Masala Chai — Indian Assam tea simmered with various spices and milk until the flavor is intense and spicy.

London Fog — A tea latte combining Earl Grey black tea with milk foam, often with a hint of vanilla.

Builder's Tea — Strong tea with milk and sugar. This term is still used in British colloquial speech today, and related blended products are also sold under the name "Builder's Brew."

Thai Tea, literally meaning "pulled tea." Popular in Southeast Asia, made with black tea and condensed milk. During preparation, the mixture is repeatedly poured between two containers to make it light and frothy.

East Frisian Tea — In a small corner of Germany, there exists a unique tea-drinking custom where people add cream and rock sugar to strong black tea in a highly ritualistic manner.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.