Japanese Royal Milk Tea vs Milk Tea: A Unique Guide!

I really hope this Royal Milk Tea vs Milk Tea guide answers all your questions. If you enjoy reading it, please let me know in the comments below. I LOVE reading your comments ❤

Royal milk tea vs milk tea… let’s settle this once and for all, what even is the difference between these two?!

They use literally the same ingredients and even look alike (almost)! So what makes them different from each other?

Well as it goes, lots of things! There are quite a few differences between the two.

I was confused too when I first heard about royal milk tea.

A quick search didn’t help much and only once I delved in deeper did I understand what makes it different and I’m gonna let you guys know all about it below.

I see you, tea lover! And I can see you’re curious about the difference between these teas.

I’ve done the research for you and you’ll know all the differences between royal milk tea and milk tea here.

You’ll get to know some similarities too, so stick around!

So go ahead and make a cup of milk tea (😉), get nice and cozy and jump right in! You’re in for an interesting read!

This is a unique take on these two teas because we’ll be discussing what they are, their differences, similarities as well as other types of milk tea out there in the world.

WHAT IS MILK TEA?

Before understanding what royal milk tea is, it’s essential to understand what milk tea is.

Milk tea, in very simple words, means a tea that has milk added to it.

So that makes royal milk tea also a… you guessed it, milk tea!

There are loads of different types of milk tea out there in the world such as Indian chai, British milk tea, Hong Kong milk tea and so many other teas out there (more about them here below).

Milk teas change from country to country, even city to city, literally with every region having its own popular version of milk tea!

And royal milk tea (also called Japanese royal milk tea) is Japan’s version of milk tea.

Different milk teas also use different types of teas such as black tea, matcha tea, Oolong and so on. Milk is sometimes added to some herbal teas too! Those teas are called milk tea as well.

Cozying up with a warm drink is fun but cozying up with a warm drink and some comforting food is even better. Check out our best Winter and Fall recipes for some absolutely delicious ideas!

WHAT IS ROYAL MILK TEA?

Royal milk tea, also called Japanese milk tea, Japanese royal milk tea and Nidashi milk tea, is a type of milk tea where milk, water and black tea are cooked together over the stove until everything comes to a gentle bubble. The tea is then immediately taken off the heat.

This delicate cooking process makes sure that the milk thickens up nice and good and the tea lets out just a little flavor so the hot drink tastes creamy and gentle without being strong at all.

A sweetener is then added to the tea giving us a rich milky sweet tea.

A nice fatty milk is used in Japanese milk tea and more milk than water is used too. A higher ratio of milk to water is used when making this tea to give us a milk tea that’s deliciously creamy.

Black tea leaves are used in this tea.

The type of black tea used is most commonly Assam tea.

Darjeeling tea or a blend of Assam tea and Darjeeling tea may also be used. Other different teas may be used too sometimes.

The most commonly used sweetener is white sugar but other sweeteners are also used such as brown sugar, brown sugar syrup, condensed milk and so many others too.

This popular Japanese drink came into being in 1965 when the tea company Lipton first created and introduced it to be a part of the “Royal Tea Recipe Series” in Japan at that time. That’s where this tea got its interesting name from too!

Japanese milk tea has two variations- Hokkaido milk tea and Okinawa milk tea that you’ll learn more about below.

Hokkaido milk tea and Okinawa milk tea are both milk teas too.

This delicious tea beverage is made hot as well as iced.

Hot Japanese royal milk tea tastes warm and comforting. Iced Japanese royal milk tea is delicious and is also served as a bubble tea with some tapioca pearls added in!

Being a massive milk tea lover, I was so intrigued when I first heard about Japanese royal milk tea. That name is just so pretty 💖.

And once I found out how it’s different from other milk teas out there, I just knew I had to try it.

I tried so many recipes and when Zee and I finally came up with a recipe (thanks to loads and loads of research) that we felt was it, we fell deeply in love.

I’ve shared that recipe with you guys too, that’s how much we love it.

To check that homemade royal milk tea recipe out and also to learn more about this delicious milky tea, its history and how it came into being, go ahead and check out our Easy Homemade Japanese Royal Milk Tea Recipe: 3 ingredients! We’ve posted it with so much love and interesting research!

ROYAL MILK TEA VS MILK TEA: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO

Woah woah we need to sort this fight out 😱!

Now that we’ve understood what these two teas are, let’s understand the differences between them.

There’s not one main difference between these two teas, but rather, multiple small differences.

As we’ve understood already, milk tea is an umbrella term with different types of milk tea around the world coming under it but to keep things simple, we’ll be comparing Japanese milk tea with commonly known classic milk tea where black tea is steeped in water first to create a strong black tea base and then, milk is separately added to it.

1^st DIFFERENCE- AMOUNT OF WATER AND MILK USED

• In Japanese milk tea, more milk than water is used.
• Regular milk tea on the other hand uses lesser milk than water.

2^nd DIFFERENCE- FAT CONTENT OF THE MILK

• Japanese milk tea uses whole milk. A good full-fat milk is essential. The milk needs to be nice and fatty. This tea goes for a lush, creamy texture and a good fatty milk is absolutely necessary to get a creamy fatty tea.
• Commonly-known milk tea uses regular fresh milk but it has no such preference when it comes to milk. You can use whatever milk you prefer.

3^rd DIFFERENCE- METHOD OF MAKING THE TEA

• Milk, water and black tea are cooked together over the stove when making some Japanese milk tea.
• Regular milk tea most commonly is made by steeping the tea in some hot water to get a strong black tea base first. The desired amount of fresh milk is then poured in.

4^th DIFFERENCE- HOW LONG THE TEA IS COOKED FOR

• When making royal milk tea, the tea is barely cooked. The milk, water and black tea are cooked until everything comes to a very gentle bubble and then the heat is switched off immediately. Royal milk tea is meant to be a gentle creamy tea.
• In regular milk tea, there is no such rule. The tea is steeped in hot water for a longer time if a stronger taste of tea is preferred or the tea is left to steep for a short period of time if a milder taste of tea is preferred. It all comes down to your preference.

5^th DIFFERENCE- LEVEL OF SWEETNESS

• More sugar/sweetener than usual is used in Japanese milk tea. It’s a pretty sweet drink.
• In regular milk tea, sugar is usually added according to taste. It’s even skipped out on sometimes.

6^th DIFFERENCE- TASTE, TEXTURE AND FLAVOR

• Japanese royal milk tea tastes milky, creamy (yay fatty milk!) and delicate with a hint of tea flavor thanks to it not being cooked for very long over the stove. It also tends to be on the sweeter side since more sweetener is added to it. Japanese milk tea is a rich, sweet drink with a gentle flavor of tea. It has an absolutely scrumptious creamy texture too. So good!
• Regular milk tea on the other hand, has a stronger robust flavor of tea and may not be as thick and creamy depending on the milk used. It may also not be as sweet depending on how much sweetener you prefer adding to your tea. Regular milk tea is a stronger tea drink with a touch of milk to balance the flavors out and it serves as a perfect pick-me-up when you’re in need of some energy. And hey, if you love the flavor of tea (like me!), you’ll love the delicious strong tea flavor this milk tea has.

7^th DIFFERENCE- COLOR OF THE TEA

• When it comes to the looks of this tea, royal milk tea is usually lighter in color because it’s not cooked for too long in the milk and water mixture over the stove. Because of this, we don’t get that rich color that black tea usually lets out the more it’s cooked. It’s also a lighter color because there’s lots more milk added to it.
• Regular milk tea is usually just a little darker than royal milk tea thanks to the tea being steeped in water for a longer time and lesser milk being added to it.

8^th DIFFERENCE- DIFFERENT WAYS THIS TEA IS SERVED

• Japanese royal milk tea can be had hot as well as iced. Hot Japanese royal milk tea tastes cozy and comforting. Iced royal milk tea tastes pretty delicious and refreshing. Iced royal milk tea is also served with some tapioca pearls making some delicious royal milk boba tea!
• Regular milk tea is most often served nice and hot. It makes for a nice comforting hot milk tea.

Now that you know the differences between Royal Milk Tea and Milk Tea, wondering which one to cozy up with?

This answer below will help you make your decision choosing the right one for you 💖.

ROYAL MILK TEA VS MILK TEA: SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE TWO

Hey you!

Now that we’ve understood the differences between royal milk tea and regular milk tea, let’s go ahead and see what makes them so similar.

It’s amazing to see two drinks that look the same (almost!) and have the same ingredients, have so many similarities and differences too!

1. Both these teas use milk. The type of milk may vary though. Japanese milk tea uses whole milk to keep that tea nice and creamy whereas commonly-known milk tea doesn’t need a fatty-milk and any type of milk can be used.
2. Both these teas commonly use black tea. The most common black teas out there are Assam tea, Ceylon tea and Darjeeling tea.
3. Both these drinks depend on and work with black tea in their own way to add flavor to these teas. In Japanese milk tea, the tea is cooked in milk and water for a little bit until everything comes to a gentle bubble. It is then covered and left for a minute. In regular milk tea, the tea is steeped in water until it reaches the desired strength and then milk is poured in. Two different methods of making these two teas that both give importance to black tea.
4. And both these teas use sweeteners. You can skip out on the sweetener too if you prefer but Japanese milk tea is supposed to be a sweet tea. The sweeteners can be white sugar, brown sugar, brown sugar syrup, caramel, honey, maple syrup… whatever you prefer!
5.  They both look almost the same. Japanese milk tea is a little lighter than regular milk tea but it can be pretty easy to get confused between the two.
6. You can have these teas hot, cold as well as iced. They taste amazing nonetheless.

Hey you, I really hope this is a helpful read and it answers all your questions!

Do you prefer royal milk tea or regular milk tea? Or wait a minute, does your heart belong to another type of milk tea 😱? Let me know in the comments below! I would love to hear about it 💖.

Royal milk tea vs Milk tea… Which one should I make/order/go for? Which one will be right for me?

Hmm… Royal milk tea vs Milk tea… which one is right for you?

The answer isn’t that difficult at all! It just depends on what you are in the mood for right now.

Royal milk tea is sweeter and creamier than milk tea. It also has a very delicate flavor of tea. This tea is not strong at all.

Regular milk tea on the other hand, tends to have a stronger flavor of tea, isn’t very sweet (unless you add in more white sugar or whatever sweetener you prefer) and is less creamy. That robust flavor of tea makes regular milk tea a strong tea.

If you ask me which one I prefer from these two different drinks, I’ll tell you I really can’t decide! I love milk tea so much so it’s difficult for me to choose and I love both these teas.

I’ll tell you this though, the type of tea I prefer having depends on what I want at that exact moment.

When I want to relax and have a comforting cup of some nice warm tea while watching a movie or reading a book, I make some Japanese royal milk tea for myself. It isn’t too strong and that sweet creamy flavor of tea makes me feel like I’m pampering myself. So indulgent. Love it!

You can go ahead and check our Easy Homemade Japanese Royal Milk Tea Recipe: 3 ingredients! and make some for yourself right NOW 😍!

When I need to get myself to start working after procrastinating way too much, I go ahead and make some regular traditional milk tea to get that kick because it tends to be on the stronger side.

So yes, royal milk tea or regular milk tea? Which one should you go for? You can go ahead and try both of them and see which one YOU prefer. Lemme know in the comments below!

What are the different types of milk tea?

There are sooo many different types of milk tea out there and I’ve described loads of different types of milk tea out there in the world below (as many as I could find while researching because I’m not a tea expert!).

Just scroll down or click here to jump below, it’s a pretty interesting read!

What kind of tea is Royal milk tea?

Royal milk tea is a type of milk tea from Japan. It’s delicious and you just need to try it!

What is Royal milk tea made of?

Japanese royal milk tea is made using only three ingredients- black tea, whole milk and sugar!

It’s super easy to make some homemade royal milk tea and the ingredients are so easy to find at so many convenience stores out there.

You can check our Easy Homemade Japanese Royal Milk Tea Recipe: 3 ingredients! to make some delicious homemade royal milk tea for yourself right away ❤.

What does Royal milk tea taste like?

Royal milk tea, also called Japanese milk tea, Japanese royal milk tea or Nidashi milk tea, tastes incredible! It’s creamy, sweet and has the gentlest flavor of tea.

Japanese royal milk tea is creamy thanks to it having some good fatty whole milk. It’s also creamy because more milk is added to the tea compared to regular milk tea.

Japanese royal milk tea is also pretty sweet because more sugar is added to it. This is a tea that tends to be on the sweeter side.

All that creaminess from the whole milk and sweetness from the sugar helps balance out the already delicate flavor of the black tea (thanks to us not cooking it too much), giving us a milk tea that is rich, creamy and sweet with a gentle touch of tea. Perfect for tea time… delicious!

To make it easier to understand, Japanese royal milk tea tastes similar to Indian chai without the spices. It’s a milder, creamier and sweeter version of chai.

If all this talk about Japanese royal milk tea has gotten you in the mood to try some and you would love to have it right now, there are Japanese brands like ‘Sangaria royal milk tea’ and many more that sell readymade royal milk tea (but it may be difficult to find or expensive).

Or better yet… you can check our Easy Homemade Japanese Royal Milk Tea Recipe: 3 ingredients! to make some Japanese royal milk tea at home and experience all that deliciousness for yourself ❤.

The recipe uses super easy to find ingredients that you can find at your local grocery shop or any convenience stores out there.

Is there a “royal milk tea” in the UK? Is royal milk tea related to the UK in any way at all?

There is no royal milk tea in the UK. Royal milk tea originated in Japan and is not related to the UK in any way at all.

This delicious tea came into being in Japan in 1965 when the tea company Lipton first introduced and created it to be a part of the “Royal Tea Recipe Series” in Japan at that time. That’s where this tea got its interesting name from too!

SOME DIFFERENT TYPES OF MILK TEA OUT THERE IN THE WORLD

Hey hey HEY!

Now that we’ve understood what the differences and similarities between Japanese royal milk tea and regular milk tea are, let’s go ahead and understand what are some of the different types of milk tea out there in the world!

So let me just say, when it comes to tea as a drink, there are teas out there that don’t have any milk added to them, and then there are teas that have milk added to them.

Here, we’ll be discussing types of teas out there that have milk or any other dairy products added to them.

Such teas are called milk teas.

Most of these teas can, and are also, made with plant-based milks such as soy milk, coconut milk, oat milk… etc. Non-dairy creamer can be used too.

These teas may contain black tea (such as Assam tea, Ceylon tea…) or any other type of tea (such as Oolong tea, matcha…).

They may not even contain a tea but are called tea for some reason (such as many types of boba tea that may be fruit based, brown sugar based…). We’ll be discussing those too. We’ll be talking about tea lattes as well.

It’s always best to use high quality ingredients when you’re making that perfect cup of tea. I’ve heard tea bags don’t use high quality tea but I’ve had some pretty goooood tasty tea from tea bags too. So if tea bags are all you have, don’t worry. Go ahead and use them!

So yes, we’ll be discussing some comforting hot teas as well as refreshing iced teas here.

Any drink that’s tea with milk added to it is what we’ll be discussing about ❤.

So yep, now that that’s out of the way…

I adore milk tea and finding out about the different types of milk tea that exist out there in the world has been one of the best things ever.

That’s how I came across Japanese royal milk tea too and that’s been one of the best finds ever!

Maybe you’ll come across a different type of milk tea in this list as well that you’ll wanna go ahead and try.

And you may end up falling deeply in love with it too.

It’ll be easy to make most of these teas cause they have easy to find ingredients that you probably already have at home or can find at your local grocery store or any convenience stores out there.

Once again, as I’ve already mentioned, milk tea is an umbrella term.

Any type of tea that contains milk is called a milk tea.

So, in no particular order, LET’S GO ☕!

It’s tea time ❤.

Note: I’ve mentioned as many types of milk tea out there that I already knew about and found out about while researching. This by no means is a list that contains every single type of milk tea because there are just so many out there and it’s easy to miss out on many! I’m not an expert on tea. I’ve tried researching as much as possible and this list has been written with the knowledge I’ve gathered.

INDIAN CHAI

Indian chai (chai translates to tea) is probably one of the most famous types of milk tea out there.

It’s probably one of the most popular hot teas in the world!

It’s got everything going right for it. It’s strong, milky, creamy and absolutely delicious.

Chai can be called the traditional milk tea of India, that’s how famous and loved it is in almost every part of the country!

The recipe for chai differs from city to city and even from family to family in India.

But commonly, black tea, fresh milk and water are all cooked together in a saucepan over the stovetop similar to Japanese royal milk tea which made me feel a little confused for a second because I was like hey, aren’t they the same thing then?

But then I understood there are some major differences such as Indian chai is cooked for a longer time, doesn’t have as much milk and sugar added to it and because of these reasons, tastes stronger than Japanese milk tea.

To read in detail about the differences between Indian chai and Japanese royal milk tea, go ahead and check this recipe out.

Chai is usually made using Assam tea or Darjeeling tea or a blend of the two.

There are different types of Indian chai too such as adrak (ginger) chai, masala chai and so many more.

Adrak chai is chai that has ginger added to it. Ginger is added to the chai while it cooks so it lets all those gingery flavors out. That addition of ginger adds a gorgeous unique flavor and the most delicious touch of warm freshness to the tea that goes along so well with the flavors of chai. It’s the perfect drink to have when you’re nursing a sore throat too.

Masala chai is something you probably have heard of. It’s chai that has spices added to it such as cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, etc. These spices give chai the most delicious exotic touch of flavor. It’s delicious!

Chai can also have both ginger and spices added to it too, making it a masala adrak chai.

And oh my goodness you guys, the gorgeous aroma of chai on its own as well as adrak chai and masala chai…? Incredible 😍!

There’s a common misconception out there that every chai contains spices. NOPE, it doesn’t.

Chai on its own is black tea, milk and water cooked together.

Masala chai is when spices are added to the chai. Not every chai is a masala chai.

There are lots of other types of chai too such as Irani chai (that adds in milk solids or sweetened condensed milk or thick cream to the tea), Hyderabadi dum chai (chai cooked in a pressure cooker), kadak chai (chai that’s on the stronger side), zafrani chai (chai with a rich saffron flavor thanks to saffron strands added to it), tandoori chai (just go watch a video on how this tea is cooked if you can, it’s… incredible!)… and so many more too!

Another pretty famous variation of Indian chai is chai latte.

Chai lattes are pretty much like an Indian chai with the addition of some nice milk foam on top and some extra sweetness.

Chai lattes can be served hot as well as iced. Yum ❤ chai lattes are so delish too!

BRITISH MILK TEA

British milk tea is another type of milk tea that’s pretty well-known out there.

It’s a robust tea with just a little milk added in.

It tends to be a little on the stronger side. That’s because the tea is first steeped in hot water to create a strong black tea base and then just a little milk is poured in.

A sweetener is then added in, most commonly white sugar.

The tea is then stirred and enjoyed.

The sweetener is sometimes skipped out on too depending on personal preference.

The flavor of this tea can differ of course depending on how strong you want your British traditional milk tea to be! You can steep your tea for a longer or shorter time, add more or less milk, add more sugar or skip out on it… It all comes down to your preference.

The flavor of the tea also depends on the tea used when preparing it.

The commonly used teas in British milk tea are either English breakfast or Earl Grey.

Both English breakfast as well as Earl Grey contain different ingredients that give them a unique flavor but the most common ingredient they contain are different types of black tea.

British milk tea is a delicious tea that’s loved so much and gives that perfect flavor of tea to tea lovers, without getting bitter, thanks to just a little milk added in to balance everything out.

It’s important to steep your tea in hot water and not cold water here. That delicious flavor of tea we prefer in British milk tea comes out really well in hot water and not cold water so it’s important to be careful when it comes to this.

MATCHA MILK TEA

Matcha milk tea is a type of milk tea that uses matcha. It’s a pretty popular drink.

Matcha comes from green tea and is produced by grinding green tea leaves, resulting in a fine powder, giving this tea a gorgeous green color.

Black tea leaves are not used here.

Matcha milk tea is also called matcha latte.

Matcha milk tea is prepared by first whisking the matcha in some hot water (best use hot water and not cold water because powder dissolves much more easily in hot water) until it’s dissolved completely, leaving no clumps of powder behind.

This is easier said than done and a ceremonial matcha whisk is usually used but a regular small whisk can be used too.

The dissolved matcha is then transferred to a glass, a sweetener (such as brown sugar syrup, honey, condensed milk, white sugar, brown sugar…) is added and then milk is poured in.

I’ve seen people adding in coconut milk too and it sounds like it’ll taste really good ❤!

This tea drink can be had hot or cold.

If it’s cold, tapioca pearls may be added in too to make it some delicious green matcha boba tea!

Matcha milk tea makes for a healthy, creamy and delicious drink. It’s a super tasty tea.

OOLONG MILK TEA

Oolong milk tea is a tea beverage made using Oolong tea.

Oolong tea is a type of tea in its own right. It’s not a black tea, nor is it a green tea. Pretty interesting, huh?

Another interesting fact coming up! Oolong milk tea should not be confused with Milk Oolong tea.

Heck, you may say. Yep!

Milk Oolong tea is a variety of Oolong tea. It’s naturally creamy, milky and buttery without having any milk added to it whatsoever. It’s also slightly sweet. How amazing does that sound 🤩?

Coming to Oolong milk tea, the tea is first steeped in some hot water. Milk is then added to it along with a sweetener such as brown sugar, honey, brown sugar syrup, caramel syrup… so many options!

Oolong milk tea has been described as tasting nutty and a little floral but the flavors depend on the type of Oolong tea used when preparing the drink.

The flavor also as usual, depends on the sweetener you use.

Ooh Oolong milk tea sounds like a pretty delicious drink ❤!

TARO MILK TEA

Taro milk tea is made using a root vegetable called taro. It’s a pretty popular drink.

Please keep in mind that while this drink is called taro milk tea, it doesn’t actually contain any tea. And hey, because of this, it doesn’t contain any caffeine.

Taro milk tea contains taro (a root veggie), milk and sometimes sweetened condensed milk.

Though it doesn’t usually contain tea, it may sometimes have a tea added to it such as Jasmine tea or a type of black tea depending on whoever’s making it.

Taro milk tea you’ll commonly find out there will usually be a pretty purple color.

HEY though, taro isn’t actually purple and food coloring is added to the drink to get that color or it’s mixed in with ube (a root vegetable that is a gorgeous purple color).

If you have authentic taro milk tea out there, it’ll be a pale brown color and not purple.

Taro milk tea has a sweet nutty flavor.

It’s usually served iced or cold along with some delicious chewy tapioca pearls.

Taro milk tea is a pretty famous boba drink and tastes pretty incredible.

BLUE BUTTERFLY PEA TEA LATTE

Blue latte, also called butterfly pea flower latte, blue milk tea and so many other pretty names is a blueee creamy drink made using butterfly pea flowers.

(Pssst… I have a recipe for this tea, check it out here- Enchanting Blue Latte Recipe (Super Easy with Butterfly Pea)

This drink doesn’t have any tea in it and because of this, doesn’t contain any caffeine.

It’s not known to contain tea but it may sometimes have tea added to it depending on whoever is making it.

This latte is made using whole dried butterfly pea flowers or butterfly pea flower powder, also called blue matcha.

This drink is made by first making some blue pea tea by steeping the dried butterfly pea flowers or dissolving the blue butterfly pea flower powder in some hot water.

You can steep your butterfly pea flowers in some cold water too but this may take much longer.

Milk is added to the blue pea tea. If flowers are used, the tea is strained and warm milk is added to it.

A sweetener such as sweetened condensed milk or honey (or any other sweetener you prefer) is then added in too and everything is given a good mix.

This drink makes for the most delicious hot milk tea without caffeine.

You can make some iced blue pea latte too!

To make some iced blue latte just wait for the latte to cool down a bit and pour it over some ice cubes in a glass.

You can also pour in some cold milk into a glass with ice cubes in it and then pour in the cooled blue pea tea to create the ⭐most gorgeous effects ever⭐!

You can also pour in the blue pea tea into a glass first and then slowly pour in the milk to see the most mystical ocean-like effects!

Butterfly pea latte creates some of the most beautiful effects in a glass.

You can check our Enchanting Blue Latte Recipe (Super Easy with Butterfly Pea) and make this gorgeous drink for yourself too.

This latte looks so beautiful with that pretty blue color and tastes beautiful too… creamy and rich with a touch of sweet delicate floral flavors from the butterfly pea flowers and the slightest sweetness from the sweetener.

When mixed in with milk, butterfly pea flowers have a very mild taste so this drink doesn’t taste like an herbal tea but tastes more like a creamy, milky and sweet drink.

HONG KONG MILK TEA

Hong Kong milk tea is a delicious silky smooth milky tea that tends to be on the stronger side.

Hong Kong milk tea is also called silk stocking milk tea. That’s because this tea is filtered multiple times using a long filter bag that resembles a silk stocking.

This interesting filtration process gives it a smooth silky rich texture and how good does that sound 😍?! A creamy milk tea? Yes, please!

It’s said that Hong Kong milk tea uses many different types of Ceylon tea.

This tea also uses evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk or even both,, adding to the thick creamy texture of this tea beverage.

Hong Kong milk tea can be had hot or cold too.

Tapioca pearls are usually added to the cold version of this Hong Kong milk tea to make some boba tea.

There’s a very interesting cooking process involved when making Hong Kong milk tea.

Black tea is first added to water and brought to a boil to get a strong black tea base.

The heat is switched off and the tea is then pulled or rather, putting it simply, poured into another vessel while passing through a long filter bag (the one that resembles a silk stocking, remember?).

The tea is then brought to a boil again and the pulling process is repeated once more.

This is done a couple of times. It’s literal art and the tea shouldn’t be pulled too much or too less.

The tea is then poured into a teacup.

Sugar or a sweetener is added and then evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk or both are poured into it. No sweetener is added to the tea if sweetened condensed milk is used.

Hong Kong milk tea has the silkiest texture thanks to all the pulling and filtering.

It’s so smooth that it’s literally called silky milk tea ❤. That creamy richness of milk and perfect flavor of tea… delicious!

YUENYEUNG

I hadn’t ever heard about this drink before starting my research on the different types of milk tea around the world.

This isn’t exactly a milk tea but it contains milk and tea.

You may be like, hey, wait a minute? It contains milk and tea so why isn’t it a milk tea huh!???

Well, that’s cause it contains coffee too!

Yep, you read that right.

It’s so cool how a drink like this exists. I’ve always wondered how tea and coffee would go together… much like how an animal that’s half cat and half dog would be.

And here we are, a drink like that exists! (much sad bout not having a half cat-half dog because I love cats and dogs so much but oh wellllll).

Yuenyeung originated in Hong Kong. It’s pretty famous and is served almost everywhere there.

A blend of black teas is used to first make some Hong Kong milk tea. Coffee is then added to it.

Sugar is commonly used as a sweetener if evaporated milk is used instead of sweetened condensed milk when making Hong Kong milk tea.

The origin of this name is pretty sweet.

There are two theories as far as I could understand…

The word Yuenyeung comes from mandarin ducks. They are known to represent love, loyalty and a bond that lasts forever in Chinese culture.

Because of this, the first theory is that this drink of coffee and tea is well… meant to be and they’re right for each other.

The second theory comes in when we compare the appearance of male mandarin ducks to female mandarin ducks.

Male and female mandarin ducks look pretty different from each other. They don’t look alike at all.

Male mandarin ducks are colorful and vibrant while female mandarin ducks are pretty toned down with neutral shades. There’s a dramatic difference between the two.

Because of this, the other theory states how two completely different drinks come together to create this drink such as two completely different looking Mandarin ducks (male and female) come together and have a beautiful bond.

Incredibly interesting, hmm 💖?

This drink can be had hot or cold. You can serve it with some tapioca pearls too. Yum yum! I can just imagine how interesting it tastes.

THAI MILK TEA

Thai milk tea is a pretty popular drink.

It’s a delicious creamy milk tea with a hint of vanilla to it.

You can recognize this tea by its gorgeous deep orange color. How stunning are all these different colored teas 🤩!

Thai milk tea can be made both hot and iced.

The iced tea version of Thai milk tea is also called cha yen.

Thai milk tea is made using black tea leaves.

Pre-packaged Thai milk tea leaves are sold by loads of brands in Thailand. They contain the secret behind that gorgeous orange color that is… food coloring!

Yep, food color is used to give Thai milk tea that characteristic orange color and it’s already added in these pre-packaged tea mixes.

That characteristic vanilla flavor this tea has is added to these pre-packaged tea mixes too.

I’ve read different things about spices in Thai milk tea.

Some say that spices such as tamarind, cardamom… etc are added to Thai milk tea while others say there are no spices added to Thai milk tea at all.

I won’t comment on this since I’m not an expert and I’m still pretty confused about this after loads of research because different people out there say different things about this.

If you happen to be Thai, lemme know in the comments below if spices are added to Thai milk tea or not ❤!

So yes…

The tea is first steeped for some time, it’s then strained into a glass (usually using a tea filter sock). If bits of tea dust are seen, the tea is strained again.

Sugar is then added and then sweetened condensed milk and/or evaporated milk is poured in and everything is given a good stir. Sugar is skipped out on if sweetened condensed milk is used.

Finally, evaporated milk is poured over the finished drink to give Thai milk tea that characteristic delicious creamy layer on top.

The result? A gorgeous orange tea that tastes creamy, sweet and absolutely incredible.

I’ve watched videos of street vendors pouring hot Thai milk tea into glasses filled with ice cubes. It’s so cool watching them make iced Thai milk tea this way 😍.

ICED THAI GREEN TEA

Iced Thai green tea is made using green tea and Jasmine tea. A prepackaged mix of this tea is found in Thailand too.

The tea is first steeped in hot water. It’s then poured into a glass.

Condensed milk or evaporated milk or both are added to it and it’s given a good mix.

This hot mix is then poured over ice cubes in a glass. That’s how street vendors do it in Thailand!

Extra evaporated milk is then added as well sometimes for some added creaminess.

Thai green tea tastes mild and floral. Mixed in with that condensed milk, it tastes absolutely divine ❤.

This delicious iced tea is also called Jasmine milk tea.

Tapioca pearls may also sometimes be added to this delicious tea. Ah, boba tea 💃🏻.

Hey you, I hope you’re enjoying reading so far about the different types of milk tea out there in the world! Do you have a favorite? Lemme know in the comments below, I’d love to know 😍.

TEH TARIK

Teh tarik is a creamy milk tea found in Malaysia. It’s a pretty popular milk tea.

Teh tarik is named after its method of preparation with the name, teh tarik being translated to “pulled tea” with teh meaning tea and tarik meaning pulled.

This is a pretty important technique and makes this tea unique.

This tea is pulled quite a few times and from a pretty high height too.

The pulling technique makes the tea nice and frothy and also influences its taste.

It makes the tea pretty creamy as well and helps all the ingredients in the tea mix together really well.

It’s absolutely amazing how this tea is pulled. Watching it happen is art in itself!

This tea is made using black tea leaves, water, condensed milk and/or evaporated milk.

The tea is first steeped in some hot water to get a strong black tea base. It’s then filtered.

Condensed milk is added to it and everything’s given a good mix.

The tea is then transferred to a pitcher. Another empty pitcher is taken and then the pulling begins.

The tea is pulled carefully from one pitcher to the other while increasing the pulling height slowly with each pull.

This is done a few times and then the tea is served with that creamy richness of milk, all frothy and super flavorful.

You can just imagine how amazing this hot drink tastes. Delish!

HOJICHA LATTE

Hojicha is a type of Japanese green tea.

Hojicha tea leaves have a nutty flavor to them and thanks to them being roasted, taste nice and toasty too.

Hojicha is also known to have chocolatey and caramelly flavors as well (ooooooh!).

Preparing this tea is pretty easy. It dissolves pretty fast compared to matcha so there’s no fear of gritty powdery clumps (the horror :O).

Hojicha powder is first mixed in some water until it’s completely dissolved and frothy.

A sweetener is added to it and given a good mix.

It’s poured into a glass and milk is poured in.

Everything is given a gentle stir and that’s it!

This delicious drink can be enjoyed hot as well as iced.

EAST FRISIAN MILK TEA

I’m so glad I came across this tea while researching on the different types of milk tea that are out there in the world.

It’s a fascinating hot milk tea.

East Frisian milk tea is one of the most interesting milk teas I’ve heard of, with an intricate preparation and drinking process (an actual tea ceremony!) that’s absolutely fascinating to read about, I can just imagine how amazing it’ll be in person, to be there and be involved in the whole thing!

East Friesland is a region in Lower Saxony, Germany.

This region has been drinking tea for about 300 years! They love their tea there and you can see that by the way they make and serve it ❤.

When making East Frisian tea, a high quality Assam tea is used along with a mix of other types of black tea.

The tea is first steeped in some hot water.

Some rock sugar is added to the teacup. The steeped tea is then strained and poured into the teacup.

A spoon filled with cream is then gently poured down against the side of the cup.

How it’s poured into the cup varies.

While researching, I’ve seen the cream just be poured down on one side of the cup.

I’ve also seen it be poured down in a circular motion.

I’ve seen it being poured down in an anti-clockwise circular motion too so as to stop time.

Once the cream is gently poured in, the tea is not stirred. The cream forms the most beautiful effect of clouds and blooms. It’s beautiful!

The tea is then sipped as it is, taking in a different flavor with each sip.

It’s like you’re having a different tea with each sip!

The first sip may be creamy, thanks to the cream with a hint of tea flavor mixed in. Then you may get a little more of that flavor of tea mixed in with a little creaminess. And then you may start tasting that sweet flavor from the rock sugar.

Not stirring the tea and then getting those different flavors of tea, cream and rock sugar with every sip makes this one of the most unique teas I’ve heard of!

LONDON FOG TEA LATTE

London fog tea latte is a creamy comforting drink that tends to be a little on the sweeter side.

It’s a pretty popular drink loved by so many ❤.

It’s made using Earl Grey tea which adds a unique taste to this latte thanks to the bergamot orange flavor in it.

It also includes a little vanilla extract that further adds to the uniqueness.

Fresh milk and a sweetener are added in too.

It’s a mystery (!) where London fog originated but there are rumors it originated in North America, specifically in Vancouver, British Columbia.

It’s a pretty simple recipe too!

The tea is first steeped in some warm water.

While the tea is steeping, the milk is heated separately. The milk is then frothed.

The tea is strained into a mug and the sweetener and vanilla extract is added to it. It’s given a good stir.

The milk is then poured into the tea and given a gentle stir.

The extra foam from the milk gently sits on top of the tea giving it that delicious characteristic look every London fog tea latte has ❤.

I’ve seen so many different ingredients being used out there when making London fog. I’ve seen it being made with coconut milk, soy milk, non-dairy creamer, whole milk powder… even lavender… and different sweeteners such as brown sugar, white sugar, cane sugar, maple syrup… The list is endless!

ROOIBOS LATTE

Rooibos is not a type of tea. It comes from a shrub that is native to South Africa.

So while we can’t really call it a true tea, we can call it an herb.

Rooibos has a delicate flavor that’s also been described as being sweet, herbal, woody and earthy.

This herb is caffeine-free and because of this, makes the perfect drink any time of the day. Be it a hot refreshing drink early in the morning or a cozy drink for when you need a comforting warm tea hug before bed ❤.

Making rooibos latte is pretty simple. Simple delicious drinks are the absolute best!

Rooibos is first steeped in hot water.

While it steeps, the milk is heated and then frothed.

The steeped tea is then strained and poured into a teacup. The sweetener is added in too and everything is given a gentle stir.

Milk is then poured in and the foam from the milk is gently placed on top of the drink. And there it is, ready to enjoy!

CHAMOMILE MILK TEA

Ah, chamomile tea… One of the most relaxing teas out there.

It’s such a good herbal tea. Mix it in with some milk and you’re bound to get the most comforting drink ever.

To make some delicious creamy chamomile milk tea, some water and milk are poured into a small pot or small saucepan. Chamomile tea is then added in.

Some spices are sometimes added in too such as cardamom, cinnamon, cloves to add to the flavor, comfort and warmth of this tea.

The tea is left for a couple of minutes over low heat so all those flavors come out and mix super well together.

The heat is then switched off.

The tea is then either directly poured into a mug or teacup or is first frothed and then poured into a mug or teacup.

You can also froth some milk on the side and top your chamomile milk tea with some milk foam.

And there it is! That’s how some delicious chamomilk tea (😉) is prepared. Enjoy that relaxing cup of tea.

BUBBLE TEA (BOBA TEA)

Let’s talk about bubble tea! One of my most favorite drinks out there in the whole world.

Bubble tea is also known as pearl milk tea or boba tea. It originated in Taiwan.

It’s called bubble tea thanks to the tapioca pearls (sweet chewy goodness!) that are in it.

And it’s a delicious delicious DELICIOUS drink!

Who thought of mixing tapioca pearls in with some creamy tea? Genius ❤!

Some creamy iced tea with tapioca pearls is the best thing ever 😍.

There are loads of types of bubble tea out there in the world with some including a type of black tea or a blend of multiple black teas (such as Assam tea, Darjeeling tea, Ceylon tea…), green tea, white tea, oolong tea and some not having any tea at all.

They can be made using herbal teas such as blue butterfly pea tea too!

Not every bubble tea contains tea but every bubble tea is called a tea nonetheless.

Some bubble teas out there are made with Hong Kong milk tea, royal milk tea, brown sugar milk tea (also called tiger milk tea), matcha tea, taro tea… etc. Some of these teas have already been spoken about here!

There are fruit boba teas too such as strawberry bubble tea, mango bubble tea… and so many more!

Bubble teas are so versatile you guys. They don’t just use dairy products. They’re made with a range of plant-based milks too such as coconut milk, soy milk… oat milk and so many more. There’s something for everyone! Whole milk powder… Non-dairy creamer… So cool!

Different sweeteners are used as well such as white sugar, brown sugar, brown sugar syrup, cane sugar, maple syrup… etc.

Customizing your bubble tea at a boba cafe is one of the most fun experiences ever!

One of the most famous bubble teas sold in boba cafes out there is brown sugar milk tea. It’s also called tiger milk tea thanks to the delicious brown sugar syrup that’s drizzled down the sides of the cup before pouring the milk in giving it the look of a small tiger in a cup!

Brown sugar milk tea most commonly doesn’t contain any tea at all and it’s made using only three ingredients – brown sugar, fresh milk and tapioca pearls.

The method of making this drink varies from recipe to recipe.

The most common way though is first pouring brown sugar syrup down the sides of the cup. This is what gives this drink its name – tiger milk tea, thanks to those brown sugar syrup stripes!

Boba pearls soaked in brown sugar syrup are then added to the cup and then the milk is poured on top.

The drink is topped with some thick cream and that’s it! Everything is given a good mix and enjoyed.

That creamy texture of milk, almost toffee-like flavor from the brown sugar syrup and sweet chewy goodness from the tapioca pearls… No wonder this drink is so loved around the world.

Brown sugar milk tea is most commonly had iced, as other boba milk teas out there.

TIBETAN BUTTER TEA

Woah woah what is this interesting sounding tea?

Tibetan butter tea is also called Po cha or yak butter tea.

And heck, it’s a pretty interesting tea.

It’s a salty tea (yep, you read that right. Salty!) that’s made with yak butter (so cool!), salt, milk, water and a type of brick black tea (a good substitute is pu’erh tea).

The tea is first added to some water in a small saucepan or small pot. It’s brought to a boil and once it starts to boil, it’s taken off the heat.

The tea is then strained into another small saucepan or small pot.

To it, butter, milk and salt are added and mixed really well.

Traditionally, at this stage, the tea is churned in a cylindrical churn made of wood. You can use a handheld blender at this stage to mix everything really well together.

And there it is, that’s how Tibetan butter tea is made!

Tibet is a high altitude region. It gets really cold there. This tea is so good and important because every single ingredient helps out in some way or the other.

This tea helps the Tibetans stay alert, active and focused thanks to the caffeine in it.

It also helps in keeping their skin soft and supple in that cold dry climate thanks to the fat content in the tea.

The tea also helps in keeping the Tibetans warm and full for a long time. There are so many more benefits to it that you can read up on too.

It’s amazing how different regions in the world have tea suited to their needs.

JAPANESE ROYAL MILK TEA

And finally, we come down to Japanese royal milk tea, also called just Royal milk tea, or Nidashi milk tea.

We’ve already discussed what royal milk tea is above.

Royal milk tea is a Japanese milk tea.

(Pssst… I have a recipe for this tea as well, check it out here- Easy Homemade Japanese Royal Milk Tea Recipe: 3 ingredients!)

It’s a pretty popular Japanese drink that was introduced by the tea company Lipton.

It uses a fatty full-fat milk, black tea and a sweetener.

A higher ratio of milk to water is used when making this tea. This higher ratio of milk gives the tea the richest creamiest ever texture and taste 😍. I mean, that creamy flavor of this tea is just incredible.

This delicious Japanese drink also contains more sweetener so it tends to be on the sweeter side.

Milk, black tea and water are all added together to a small saucepan or small pot and cooked until everything reaches a very gentle bubble.

Once the tea comes to a gentle bubble, it’s strained and poured into teacups and enjoyed. The tea should never come to a boil.

Compared to regular milk tea, Japanese royal milk tea (Nidashi milk tea) tastes sweeter and creamier.

It has the most delicate flavor of tea which goes really well with the texture and other flavors of this drink.

The creamy richness of milk in this tea is… delicious.

This scrumptious tea came into being in 1965 when the tea company Lipton first introduced and created it to be a part of the “Royal Tea Recipe Series” in Japan at that time. That’s where this tea got its interesting name from too!

It got famous really fast and is one of the most popular teas in Japan today.

This delicious Japanese drink is found in cafes, boba tea shops and restaurants as well.

It’s so popular in Japan that there are literal companies selling cans and bottles of royal milk tea there in convenience stores, vending machines, local grocery stores…etc. such as Sangaria royal milk tea and so many more too!

Sangaria royal milk tea has the prettiest colored cans, a characteristic blue and white that is recognized and loved by so many Japanese people.

Today, you can find Sangaria royal milk tea as well as many other royal milk tea brands online in the United States, UK and so many other countries too.

Unfortunately it may not be really easy to find sometimes and may also be on the expensive side (thanks to high shipping rates… Also long delivery times just suck 🙁 ) so it’s best to know how to make it at home 😉 (check our Easy Homemade Japanese Royal Milk Tea Recipe: 3 ingredients! made with easy to find ingredients you’ll get at your local convenience stores).

You’ll find cans and bottles of royal milk tea sold literally everywhere in Japan. It’s amazing! I mean, imagine walking into your local grocery store or any convenience stores and finding Japanese royal milk tea right there. Lucky Japanese people!

Now that we’ve discussed what Japanese royal milk tea (also called Nidashi milk tea as I’ve mentioned before) is, we’ll go ahead and discuss two other Japanese teas that happen to be popular variations of Japanese royal milk tea- Hokkaido milk tea and Okinawa milk tea.

They’re pretty interesting Japanese teas to learn about!

HOKKAIDO MILK TEA

Hokkaido milk tea is a variation of Japanese royal milk tea.

So, what makes it different? What is that main difference?

It’s the milk!

Hokkaido milk tea is a pretty popular drink and uses milk from the Japanese island of Hokkaido when making the tea along with black tea and a sweetener.

So hmmmm, what’s so special about this milk that led to Hokkaido milk tea being called a whole other milk tea huh?

Milk from the Hokkaido prefecture is called Hokkaido milk and oh man, apparently this milk is soooooo rich and creamy AND is also known to have a very gentle flavor of vanilla.

And oh my goodness? How amazing is that?! I would love to try some Hokkaido milk RIGHT NOW 😍.

Milk from the Japanese island of Hokkaido is really famous and is also said by some to be Japan’s best milk.

This milk tastes so good because Hokkaido has the right weather conditions, sprawling green fields and a pretty good environment for cows to live in stress-free.

While reading about Hokkaido milk tea and researching on it, I found out that the cows are happy and relaxed in Hokkaido and that leads to them producing absolutely delicious milk. How awesome is that ❤?

So yep, Hokkaido milk tea uses creamy and super flavorful Hokkaido milk from the Hokkaido prefecture instead of regular milk.

I MEAN, apparently the vanilla-y creamy flavor of this milk is incredible!

Thanks to that creamy rich milk, Hokkaido milk tea is known to taste really sweet, creamy and delicious.

Hokkaido milk tea also commonly uses brown sugar as a sweetener, a sugar called Sanonto sugar which is a light brown type of brown sugar.

Ah, Hokkaido milk tea sounds delish ⭐.

OKINAWA MILK TEA

Okinawa milk tea is another variation of Japanese royal milk tea.

What makes this delicious milky type of tea different is that it uses a different sweetener that adds a special flavor to it.

Oooh, how interesting are these Japanese teas ❤?

The sweetener used when making Okinawa milk tea is a type of brown sugar called Kokuto which is produced in Okinawa.

The type of sugar used is the main difference between Okinawa milk tea and Japanese royal milk tea.

Kokuto comes from sugar canes grown in the Okinawa region of Japan.

Okinawa has pretty awesomesauce conditions for sugar cane to grow in, thanks to it being an island having strong sunlight and all the good stuff from the ocean.

Another thing that makes Kokuto special and sooo good is that it is prepared using a very different method.

The result?

A brown sugar that is healthy and tastes rich too. This brown sugar is said to be the healthiest in the world.

Okinawa milk tea is made using black tea leaves, regular milk and Kokuto sugar. This tea is said to taste really rich with a characteristic taste from the Kokuto sugar.

Japanese royal milk tea, Hokkaido milk tea and Okinawa milk tea are some pretty interesting Japanese teas.

It’s amazing to see how different regions in the world have different ingredients they use to make a tea completely unique to their part of the world! ALL these teas sound sooo good ❤.

How amazing would it be to try every single type of milk tea out there in the world?!

❤❤❤

Hey you, I really hope this was a helpful read! Let me know below if you prefer Royal milk tea or Regular milk tea OR any other type of milk tea out there in the world.

Have I missed out on a certain type of milk tea? Let me know in the comments below! I would love to know about it and add it to this list 💖.

We would love to get to know you better, say hello in the comments below ❤

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Cozying up with a warm drink is fun but cozying up with a warm drink and some comforting food is even better. Check out our best Main Dish recipes for some absolutely delicious ideas!