As a famous tourist destination, Singapore's tea culture is a highly representative attraction. The most famous aspect of Singapore's tea culture is 'Teh Tarik' (pulled tea), which has become a folk performance art highly appreciated by tourists. Friends who are immigrating to Singapore or traveling in Singapore should take the opportunity to experience this unique tea culture.
The so-called 'pulled tea' involves adding milk to brewed black tea, after which the tea maker pours the mixture into a container. The tea maker holds the container full of milk tea in one hand and an empty cup in the other, starting to pour the tea from a distance of about one meter between their hands. This back-and-forth process must be repeated 7 times. During the pouring process, the milk tea is not allowed to spill. Because the 'pulled tea' cup is quite large, it is very satisfying to drink, and as tea drinkers sip their tea while watching the spectacular pouring performance, they find themselves feeling relaxed.
Drinking tea in Singapore is different from in the United Kingdom. In the UK, tea is the focus, accompanied by some biscuits and small sandwiches. In Singapore, however, afternoon tea is focused on the food, and the quality of the tea itself is not as important. Many tourist hotels offer afternoon tea primarily as a buffet of snacks, ranging from Indian-style roti prata to Chinese dim sum, with a wide variety of choices. Even when drinking tea in five-star hotels, it is common to be served large pots of tea brewed with tea bags.
Chinese tea has also become very prominent in Singapore in recent years. Some 'tea villages' and 'teahouses' specializing in Chinese tea are often crowded with customers. The 'tea-drinking crowd' in Singapore is not limited to elderly people with graying hair; it seems that more young people are joining in, often in groups of three or five or in pairs, using tea time to discuss business or relax their bodies and minds. Since there are many tourists from Japan and South Korea visiting Singapore, business-savvy teahouses even provide specific tea leaves preferred by Japanese and Korean guests. As dusk falls, the streets and teahouses of Singapore gradually become lively, becoming a unique street scene.