Teh tarik () is a popular hot milk tea beverage most commonly found in restaurants, outdoor stalls, mamaks and

kopitiam A ''kopitiam'' or ''kopi tiam'' () is a type of coffee shop mostly found in parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Southern Thailand patronised for meals and beverages, and traditionally operated by the Chinese community of t ...

s within the Southeast Asian countries of

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

and

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

. Its name is derived from the pouring process of "pulling" the drink during preparation. It is made from a strong brew of

black tea Black tea, also translated to red tea in various East Asian languages, is a type of tea that is more oxidized than oolong, yellow, white and green teas. Black tea is generally stronger in flavour than other teas. All five types are made from ...

blended with

condensed milk Condensed milk is cow's milk from which water has been removed (roughly 60% of it). It is most often found with sugar added, in the form of ''sweetened condensed milk'' (SCM), to the extent that the terms "condensed milk" and "sweetened condense ...

. It is the national drink of Malaysia.

Etymology

''Teh tarik'' is formed by two languages: ''teh'' which means "tea" and ''tarik'' which means "pulled." The word "teh" for tea originates from the

Hokkien The Hokkien () variety of Chinese is a Southern Min language native to and originating from the Minnan region, where it is widely spoken in the south-eastern part of Fujian in southeastern mainland China. It is one of the national languages ...

word for tea, the word "tarik" for pulled originates from Malay.

Origin and history

The origins of tarik can be traced to

Indian Muslim Islam is India's second-largest religion, with 14.2% of the country's population, approximately 172.2 million people identifying as adherents of Islam in 2011 Census. India is also the country with the second or third largest number of Muslim ...

immigrants in the

Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula ( Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The ar ...

who set up drink stalls at the entrance of rubber plantations after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

to serve the workers there. Since colonial times, tarik has been a popular

Malaysian Indian cuisine Malaysian Indian cuisine, or the cooking of the ethnic Indian communities in Malaysia, consists of adaptations of authentic dishes from India, as well as original creations inspired by the diverse food culture of Malaysia. Because the vast ...

for many in

British Malaya The term "British Malaya" (; ms, Tanah Melayu British) loosely describes a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Singapore that were brought under British hegemony or control between the late 18th and the mid-20th century. ...

and

. Traditionally, tarik has been seen served with the

Roti canai Roti canai (pronunciation: /tʃanaɪ/) or roti prata, also known as roti chenai and roti cane (/tʃane/), is an Indian flatbread dish found in several countries in Southeast Asia, especially in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thail ...

which is a popular breakfast set among

Malaysians Malaysians are nationals and citizens who are identified with the country of Malaysia. Although citizens make up the majority of Malaysians, non-citizen residents and overseas Malaysians may also claim a Malaysian identity. The country is h ...

and with prata among the

Singaporeans Singaporeans, or the Singaporean people, refers to citizens or people who identify with the sovereign island city-state of Singapore. Singapore is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-lingual country. Singaporeans of Chinese, Malay, Indi ...

. An element of showmanship exists in the preparation of tarik. The ability to drag a long stream of tea above the heads of the patrons without giving them a shower is an amusing novelty for the locals and tourists alike. In Malaysia, there are occasions where tarik brewers gather for competitions and performances to show their skills. Teh tarik has become recognised along with ''

nasi lemak ''Nasi lemak'' is a dish originating in Malay cuisine that consists of fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf. It is commonly found in Malaysia, where it is considered the national dish. It is also the native dish in neighbou ...

'' as part of the food and beverage heritage of Malaysia by the Malaysian government ministry.

Preparation

The mixture is poured back and forth repeatedly between two vessels from a height, giving it a thick

froth Foams are materials formed by trapping pockets of gas in a liquid or solid. A bath sponge and the head on a glass of beer are examples of foams. In most foams, the volume of gas is large, with thin films of liquid or solid separating the r ...

y top. This process cools the tea to optimal drinking temperatures, thoroughly mixes the tea with the condensed milk, and improves its flavour. This is often compared to the

decant Decantation is a process for the separation of mixtures of immiscible liquids or of a liquid and a solid mixture such as a suspension. The layer closer to the top of the container—the less dense of the two liquids, or the liquid from which t ...

ing of toddy to enhance its flavour. The term ''kurang manis'', which can be translated to "less sweet", is a common request for those who are health conscious or not fond of sugary drinks, as tarik is typically prepared on the sweet side to taste by most vendors.

Variations

* Teh ais is tea sweetened with condensed milk that is simply served in a glass with ice cubes. It may also be known as tarik ping or tarik ais'' with the tarik treatment. * Teh tarik madu is tarik blended with honey as part of its preparation, which is usually served cold. *

Teh halia ''Teh'' is an Internet slang neologism most frequently used as an English article (grammar), article, based on a common typographical error of "''the".'' ''Teh'' has subsequently developed grammatical usages distinct from ''the''. It is not commo ...

, tarik flavoured with ginger. * Teh madras, a variant popular in

Sabah Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory ...

and

Labuan Labuan (), officially the Federal Territory of Labuan ( ms, Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan), is a Federal Territory of Malaysia. Its territory includes and six smaller islands, off the coast of the state of Sabah in East Malaysia. Labuan's capita ...

, is made with frothed milky tea layered on top of hot milk. * Teh-C is tea made with unsweetened

evaporated milk Evaporated milk, known in some countries as "unsweetened condensed milk", is a shelf-stable canned cow’s milk product where about 60% of the water has been removed from fresh milk. It differs from sweetened condensed milk, which contains adde ...

, unlike the traditional tarik which is made with sweetened condensed milk. Vendors however will add sugar to Teh-C unless specifically asked not to. The Malay word for nil or zero, kosong, is used to indicate that the drinker does not want their beverage to be sweetened. The ‘C’ stands for "

Carnation ''Dianthus caryophyllus'' (), commonly known as the carnation or clove pink, is a species of ''Dianthus''. It is likely native to the Mediterranean region but its exact range is unknown due to extensive cultivation for the last 2,000 years.Med ...

", a popular brand of evaporated milk. A three-layered tea variation of the drink called Teh-C Peng Special are available and sold in most kopitiams, consisting of black tea, milk and palm sugar syrup from the top to bottom layer respectively. Teh-C ais is the iced drink version of it with ice cubes. * Teh-O refers to black tea without any addition of dairy products or creamers entirely, hence the ‘O’ stands for "original". Like Teh-C, sugar is usually added except when Teh-O kosong is specified, where once again sugar is omitted. Teh O ais is the iced drink version of it with ice cubes. * Kopi tarik is local coffee, dark roasted with margarine and sugar, which is sweetened with condensed milk and pulled to froth it up. Drinks made with Milo and Nescafe may also be served with the tarik treatment by vendors which specialise in tarik.

In popular culture

The drink has experienced resurgent popularity as a symbol of navigating conflict. As a common drink among disparate cultural groups, organisations throughout Malaysia such as schools, nonprofits, and government have been hosting "Teh tarik sessions" in which participants identify common ground and embrace diversity.

References