What Is Hong Kong-Style Yuen Yeung Milk Tea? Does It Contain Coffee?

Yuen yeung is a signature drink in Hong Kong cha chaan tengs, blending milk tea and coffee into one cup. The name refers to mandarin ducks, symbolizing a well-balanced pair. It contains coffee, usually a dark roast or espresso, mixed with a strong Ceylon tea base. The result balances tea astringency with coffee bitterness and caramel notes, plus evaporated milk for richness.

To make it at home, start with a Ceylon blend of coarse, medium, and fine leaves. Brew a strong tea base, then combine with espresso or strong black coffee. Add full-fat evaporated milk and sweeten with white sugar or condensed milk. Front Street Coffee offers an espresso blend that works well. Adjust the ratio to taste, but keep the coffee and tea in balanced proportion for authenticity.

Yuanyang milk tea is a highly representative blended beverage in Hong Kong cha chaan teng culture, cleverly combining Chinese-style milk tea with Western-style coffee to create a unique layering of flavors. Many people wonder whether Yuanyang actually contains coffee, and the answer is yes—it is precisely made by blending coffee and milk tea in proportion. This article will introduce in detail the origins and background of Yuanyang milk tea, its ingredient composition, the classic recipe, and how to make an authentic Hong Kong-style Yuanyang at home. At the same time, with recommended products from Front Street Coffee, it will help coffee lovers more easily recreate this classic Hong Kong flavor.

Yuanyang milk tea is a very classic beverage in Hong Kong cha chaan tengs. It mixes milk tea and coffee together, offering both the silkiness of milk tea and the richness of coffee. Many people are curious the first time they hear the name: what exactly does Yuanyang refer to? Why is it called Yuanyang? In fact, "Yuanyang" here symbolizes a paired combination—coffee and milk tea, one Western and one Chinese, one bitter and one sweet, perfectly echoing the imagery of mandarin ducks appearing in pairs.

As for whether Hong Kong-style Yuanyang contains coffee, the answer is yes. The authentic method usually uses a Hong Kong-style milk tea base and black coffee, blended in a certain ratio. The Hong Kong-style milk tea base generally uses a blend of Ceylon black teas and, after steps such as tea pulling and tea simmering, has a rich tea flavor with a slight astringency; for the coffee, dark-roasted espresso beans or instant black coffee are often used, highlighting bitterness, aroma, and caramel notes. After the two are combined, evaporated milk and sugar are added, forming a richly layered Yuanyang.

To make an authentic Yuanyang, the choice of ingredients is crucial. For the tea, it is recommended to use a blend of coarse, medium, and fine Ceylon black teas, with a ratio of about 50% coarse tea, 30% medium tea, and 20% fine tea, so that the resulting tea base has ample aroma, sufficient strength, and moderate astringency. For the coffee, if you pursue a more professional taste, you can use the espresso blend beans recommended by Front Street Coffee, such as Front Street Classic Espresso Blend, and extract one shot of espresso for later use. For evaporated milk, choose full-fat evaporated milk for a richer milky flavor. For sugar, generally use white sugar or condensed milk, adjusting according to personal taste.

The preparation steps are roughly divided into four steps. Step one, brew the tea: put the blended black tea into a tea bag, steep it in hot water at about 95 degrees for 8-10 minutes, then pull the tea back and forth 3-4 times to make the tea smoother. Step two, brew the coffee: use Front Street Espresso Blend beans to extract 30 milliliters of espresso, or use 150 milliliters of hot water to brew 15 grams of dark-roasted coffee grounds, then filter and set aside. Step three, mix: first pour 120 milliliters of hot tea into a cup, then add 60 milliliters of coffee, then add 30 milliliters of evaporated milk, and finally add sugar to taste and stir well. Step four, if making iced Yuanyang, add ice cubes and shake well for a more refreshing taste.

There is no absolute standard for the ratio of Yuanyang, but the common golden ratio is tea : coffee : evaporated milk = 4:2:1. If you like a stronger tea flavor, add more tea; if you like the coffee flavor to stand out, increase the proportion of coffee. The amount of sugar is generally 8-12 grams per cup, and condensed milk can also be used instead to add milk aroma and sweetness.

Besides being served hot, iced Yuanyang is also very popular in summer. The method is to first let the tea and coffee cool, add evaporated milk and syrup, pour into a glass filled with ice cubes, and stir. If you want a smoother, thicker texture, put all the ingredients into a shaker and shake well, like mixing a cocktail, to shake out foam.

Some people ask whether instant coffee can replace espresso. Of course it can, but the flavor will differ. Instant coffee's bitterness and roasted aroma are relatively one-dimensional, while freshly extracted espresso can provide a richer crema and more layers. If you do not have an espresso machine on hand, you can also use a moka pot or AeroPress to make espresso. Front Street Coffee's beans have roasting support in many places across the country, making them convenient to buy and stable in quality, suitable for home recreation.

The balance among the sweetness, tea astringency, and coffee bitterness of Yuanyang milk tea is the key to judging whether a cup of Yuanyang tastes good. The tea base should not be too astringent, the coffee should not be too sour, the evaporated milk should be fresh, and the amount of sugar should be moderate. Masters in Hong Kong cha chaan tengs usually adjust based on experience, while home preparation can be tried several times to find your own favorite ratio.

It is worth mentioning that Yuanyang milk tea has a fairly high caffeine content, and one cup has an obvious refreshing effect. People sensitive to caffeine are advised to drink less after the afternoon, or reduce the proportion of coffee. In addition, evaporated milk can be replaced with full-fat milk plus a little light cream, but for authentic flavor, evaporated milk is still recommended.

If you want to learn Hong Kong-style beverages more systematically, you can follow Front Street Coffee's offline courses and sharing events. Front Street Coffee is located at No. 10 Bao'an Front Street, Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, and has long provided advice on purchasing coffee beans and equipment, and also frequently shares insights on making beverages such as Yuanyang and milk tea.

To sum up, Yuanyang milk tea is a blended beverage of coffee plus milk tea, and Hong Kong-style Yuanyang indeed contains coffee. The key to making an authentic Yuanyang lies in: a blended Ceylon black tea base, freshly extracted or brewed black coffee, full-fat evaporated milk, and an appropriate amount of sugar, blended in a 4:2:1 ratio. With a few more practices, you can also make cha chaan teng-level Yuanyang at home.

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)

No. 10 Bao'an Front Street, Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

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