Hong Kong Tea

My favorite local coffee shop makes a drink called "Hong Kong Tea." I love to drink it iced in the summer and hot on cold fall mornings. However, if you are familiar with the "latte a day" money-savings technique, then you will understand why I needed to invent my own recipe to make for home. As far as Hong-Kong authenticity, I don't know! I just believe in the power of tea.

The concept is simple: make a black tea concentrate, later add your milk of choice.

Because you are making tea concentrate, you can make enough for a week, which is about how long it stays good in the fridge. If you don't add sugar you can extend that shelf life by another week or so. Hopefully, though, it won't last that long because it is too yummy!

Step 1: The Ingredients.

1. Strong black tea. I'm using loose-leaf, but 5-7 tea bags per 2 cups of water would suffice. This is strong tea concentrate.
2. A place to steep your tea that contains 2-4 cup capacity. I am using a tea pot that contains a tea strainer.
3. Sugar or sugar substitute. I prefer stevia if I'm watching my sugar. However, let me encourage you to use the real thing. This tea is a treat--go all out. I use 1/4 cup to 1/3 cups, depending on how much tea concentrate I'm making.
4. Bowls aren't really necessary. The bowls in the photo have a sad story attached to them. A week after taking photos for this intructable, those two and two of their bowl brothers shattered--I knocked them to the floor by accident while rearranging my cabinets. Let bullet #4 forever be a memorial to those bowls. They were beautiful, always eager to hold things like rice and cereal, and easy to clean. I love you, bowls, you will be missed.
5. (not pictured) Half and Half or your creamer of choice. I've found coconut creamer is INCREDIBLE with this.

Step 2: Brewing

Its brewing time. This is exactly what you think it will be: heat some water to boiling and pour most over the tea leaves and a tiny bit over the sugar to dissolve it. You may have noticed I switched tea pots in my photos. I decided to make a double batch. That means I used 1/3 cup black tea leaves to 3.5 cups water. the other 1/2 cup water went into the sugar.

Steep 5-10 minutes, based on your tolerance for bitterness. I prefer this tea drink a little more bitter, so I go for the full 10 minutes. Sometimes even 12. The sugar and cream really balance out the tang of the bitter, so I shoot a very full-bodied concentrate.

I also have a mason jar ready to go for the concentrate after it is done steeping.

Step 3: Mixing and Storing.

How did I not get a picture of them mixed? I don't know--crazy pants.

Well, you can see the sugar water divided amongst two jars. I did two so I could give one to a friend. This is an easy step. Mix sugar water with tea concentrate and put in a container. BAM! Your done with the main part. Now you are ready to fix your tea at any time.

Step 4: Making Some Teeeaaaaa!

We went for hot when I made this.

Hot: Pour 1/3-1/2 your mug's capacity with concentrate. Then add a splash of water. Microwave until hot. Be sure you leave enough room for 1-2 tbsp of half and half. If I am using coconut creamer I sometimes add 3-4 tbsp, but now you know why sometimes I have trouble buttoning my pants.

Iced: Place ice in glass. Pour concentrate 1/2 full. add a splash of water. Pour in half and half.

Stir and Enjoy!