Teh tarik: Malaysia's iconic art of ‘pulled tea'

Arab News

31-01-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: Often referred to as Malaysia's national drink, teh tarik is not only the most popular beverage among the Southeast Asian nation's young and old, but also one that reflects its diversity.
Meaning 'pulled tea' in Malay, the strong, sweet, and milky teh tarik is named after the way it is prepared: by pouring it back and forth between two containers to create a frothy texture.
The beverage originates from the Mamak community — descendants of Indian Muslims who began to settle in the Malay Peninsula centuries ago. Most of them arrived during British colonial rule. Over time, they became heavily involved in the food and restaurant industry, where they set up small roadside eateries that would later become Malaysia's iconic Mamak stalls.
While there are as many recipes for the perfect teh tarik as there are family-run tea shops, the beverage's quality is measured by its 'pull,' which aerates the liquid and enhances its flavor.
'If you do short pulls, you will not get enough air into the drink. It will not be frothy then. Also, this is my own interpretation, but the right amount of frothiness adds another dimension of flavor,' Senthil Kumar, a tea master at the ZamZam restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, told Arab News.
'Some people do it to make a show of it, which is nice, but actually the art is to alternate short and long pulls, almost slamming the liquid into the cup or tin can held below, to really get a good mix and ample froth.'
How long the tea leaves are soaked also matters, and so does the amount of milk.
'You cannot let the leaves soak for too long, but neither can they be under-soaked. Nothing longer than two hours. After that, the leaves lose their essence,' Kumar told Arab News.
'The condensed milk we use is a pretty common, well-known brand here. The trick is to not put too much. Because more condensed milk means a denser liquid. When the liquid is too dense, you can't achieve the level of frothiness to make it creamy.'
The condensed milk version of teh tarik is the most popular but not the only one.
'In Indian restaurants or even Indian households, the tea is often made with fresh milk,' said P. Ramachandran, an avid tea lover and a retail shop owner in Kuala Lumpur's Brickfields area.
'Once the milk comes to a boil, you add the tea leaves and let it boil, let the tea really seep into the milk. When the color turns to this beautiful golden brown, you add sugar. In my home, we use palm sugar, but you can also use normal brown sugar.'
The 'pulling' part is the final touch and there are rules for it too, like the use of silver or stainless-steel dishes.
'Don't use glass,' Ramachandran said. 'Pull it generously, don't spill and let the froth build. Then pull it directly into your drinking cup and drink when hot. Nothing beats that.'
While teh tarik was perfected by South Indian cooks, most Malaysians, regardless of ethnicity, feel attached to it and have also customized their own versions of the beverage.
Mei Ren Li, a homemaker, said tea making in Chinese households was simpler.
'We occasionally have our black tea with milk and sugar,' she said.
'I am not very good with the pulling, but my kids love it when I do it, and I must say, it truly adds flavor to the tea. I typically use normal castor sugar, just one spoon per cup.'
Lately, local eateries have also been introducing more flavors to the traditionally three-ingredient-based drink. Ginger pulled tea and masala pulled tea are now more common.
Tejinder Kaur, a medical officer, prepares her tea at home this way, adding ginger, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.
'It's made a lot like the Indian tea. We boil the fresh milk with water and add tea. As it begins bubbling, we add the spice mix and let it boil for two minutes. Then we pull it straight into our glasses and drink it hot,' she said.
'It's a staple for my whole family, and we can all drink it all day long.'