Teh tarik

Etymology

The expression teh tarik is composed of the Malay words for "tea" (teh) and "pulled" (tarik), and can be translated as "pulled tea".

Background

According to the BBC, "Black tea was first introduced by the Chinese in the 1830s; the craft of pulling was developed by South Indian street cooks after 1850, and milk and sugar were introduced nearly 100 years later during the end of British colonialism".

Origin and history

According to the government of Singapore, the origins of teh tarik can be traced to Indian Muslim immigrants in the Malay Peninsula who set up drink stalls serving masala chai as early as the 1870s at the entrance of rubber plantations to serve workers there; after World War II these vendors for economic reasons switched to using tea dust, the taste of which is bitter, and added condensed milk to mask the bitterness, creating teh tarik. Singapore and Malaysia, which split in 1965, both claim it as a specialty of local cuisine. Malaysia nominated it, along with nasi lemak and roti canai, for 2024 United Nations recognition as intangible cultural heritage foods.

Ingredients, preparation and serving

Tea leaves, tea bags, or tea dust are boiled or steeped strongly and strained. Vendors may use a tea concentrate of extremely strong tea that can be combined with hot water. Evaporated and/or condensed milk are added. According to Food & Wine, lower-quality tea, such as that known as grade-B, is essential to producing traditional teh tarik.

The mixture is poured back and forth repeatedly between two vessels from a height, giving it a thick frothy top. This process cools the tea to optimal drinking temperatures, thoroughly mixes the tea with the condensed milk, and is believed to improve its flavour. This is often compared to the decanting of cold brew coffee to enhance its flavour.

Since colonial times, teh tarik has been popular in Malaysian Indian cuisine for many in British Malaya and Singapore. Traditionally, teh tarik has been seen served with roti prata or roti canai as a popular breakfast among Malaysians and with prata among Singaporeans.

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 teh tarik is typically prepared on the sweet side to taste by most vendors.

An element of showmanship exists in the serving of teh 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. Food & Wine called it "the world's most athletic tea ritual". In Malaysia, servers who are adept at pouring the tea from further away, theatrically and seemingly in "defi[ance of] physics", become local celebrities. In Malaysia, pulling contests draw thousands of spectators.

Variations

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• Teh ais is tea sweetened with condensed milk that is simply served in a glass with ice cubes. It may also be known as teh tarik ping, teh ping, or teh tarik ais with the tarik treatment.
• Teh tarik madu is teh tarik blended with honey as part of its preparation, which is usually served cold.
• Teh halia, teh tarik flavoured with ginger.
• Teh madras, a variant popular in Sabah and Labuan, is made with frothed milky tea layered on top of hot milk.
• Teh-C or teh si is tea made with unsweetened evaporated milk, unlike the traditional teh 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", 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, also known as teh kosong, refers to black tea without any addition of dairy products or creamers. "Kosong" means "zero" in Malay. 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 who specialise in teh tarik.

Cultural importance

The drink in Malaysia is seen as a symbol of navigating conflict and as a common drink popular among disparate cultural groups.

References

References

1. Bonny Tan. (2013). "Teh tarik". [[National Library Board]].
2. Su-Lyn Tan. (2003). "Malaysia & Singapore". Lonely Planet.
3. (2024-06-20). "Nasi lemak, roti canai, teh tarik take centre stage at Geneva's UN office as Malaysia champions intangible cultural heritage".
4. Boon, Sim Wie. "Nasi lemak nominated for Unesco World Heritage status".
5. Krishna, Priya. (17 May 2017). "Malaysian Millennials Love Teh Tarik, the Tea That Inspires Dance Competitions".
6. Loheswar, R.. (2024-04-17). "Health Ministry's 'Kurang Manis' pilot campaign in Putrajaya struggles to sway taste buds".
7. (2021-04-01). "Teh Tarik Recipe, Irresistibly Easy To Make At Home".
8. Stirn, Matt. (5 January 2022). "Teh tarik: Malaysia's frothy 'national drink'".
9. "[OPEN] Teh Tarik Session: Empowering Young Minds Through Leadership".
10. (30 November 2021). "Resolve differences with deputy minister over {{not a typo".