Bubble tea places serve a tea called “traditional milk tea” - tastes different than our chai. But everywhere I read, it says it is a black tea with evaporated milk, but that’s how I make my chai. Any tips on how to make home-made asian (chinese, etc) traditional milk tea?
Re: Traditional Milk Tea
i think ‘traditional milk’ means natural milk with full fat content. in our countries the milk comes from water buffalo which is thicker [more fat] and is unpasteurized [giving a thick layer of malaaii after boiling it]. it definitely tastes better.
Re: Traditional Milk Tea
traditional tea, do they mean they actually boil the tea over high heat ? like its called “pakki chai” in pakland? 
Re: Traditional Milk Tea
yeah, i think so…like…“doodh pattii” chai 
They don’t boil the tea leaves/ patti in the water.
They bring the water to a boil, then take it off the heat, put the tea bags in and let it steep for a few minutes. For the sweeter, I’ve seen them make a syrup of honey and brown sugar, that cools while the tea steeps.
If you’re making bubbles (tapioca pearls), after you’ve boiled the bubbles, you leave them to soak in the syrup, since they’re completely tasteless.
Either way, once the tea is done (the longer you leave it, the stronger it will be), add a little to your cup, add desired amount of condensed or powdered milk, mix until fully combined, and finally fill with the rest of the tea. Add bubbles/ syrup last and stir.
Ta-da!!
Ps. This is the traditional Korean way of making bubble tea. We bought the tea leaves (honey, jasmine, and/ or any other flavor) from an Asian market. And it tasted just like the bubble tea place’s. Replace regular milk with coconut milk, and now you have coconut tea.
Also, a lot of bubble tea places only just artificial flavors and hardly any real/ natural stuff. That might also alter the taste.
Re: Traditional Milk Tea
^I was gonna say…that it may be the sugar syrup that’ gives it the different taste op is talking about. I know other flavors have syrups added.
Desi chai is made by boiling tea leaves,milk ,water and sugar all together.