Tea Tarik: Harmony of Great Flavor

This may seem a bit off-topic, but I wanted to make a post about one of my all-time favourite drinks. It's called Teh Tarik. Malay etymology states that teh = tea and tarik = to pull, and the combination being a sweet and frothy milk tea.

I first learned about teh tarik before my first trip to Singapore in 2005, but for some reason never got to try it in the four days I was there. That's why when I returned last May, I made it a point to finally try it out. You'd find it more often in Hawker Centers or Coffee places like Kopitiam and Kopi Roti, and it's definitely a must-try.

It's more popular in Malaysia, though, and is called the country's de facto national drink.

The process of making teh tarik is part of the overall experience, when the barista adds tea to a cup containing milk. Then comes the tarik part, where the barista pours the tea from a hand held high into a container held in a hand below, over and over again, thus resulting in air being infused into the milky tea. If you're fortunate enough to find a barista who is willing to put on a show, you'll end up enjoying an entertaining display of skill that results in a hot, creamy, and sweet tea drink.

I found a few pictures on the net of the process of making teh tarik, but some of the good ones were copyrighted. Kudos and big thanks to the fun crew of The Inn Crowd Backpackers Hostel Singapore for giving me permission to use the picture seen above. That’s a shot of teh tarik being made by an Indian fellow in Little India, a good and very cultural area of Singapore.

If any of you take a trip to Malaysia or Singapore make sure to look for teh tarik at a hawker center or coffee shop, it's really a great treat, and I miss having it since I'm back in Manila.

Thanks to the Inn Crowd! Visit their site for a great collection of Singapore tourist information at http://www.the-inncrowd.com/