Settling in Hong Kong to learn about life in Hong Kong: Historically, Hong Kong was under British colonial rule for a long time, and the habit of drinking black tea among Hong Kong people was greatly influenced by the British. Hong Kong people have a preference for black tea with milk, and have a particular fondness for Ceylon black tea, which bears a distinct British imprint. Since the 1950s and 1960s, Hong Kong-style milk tea has been popular for more than half a century and has become a representative symbol of Hong Kong culture. Among the most distinctive are Silk Stocking Milk Tea and Yuenyeung.
I. Silk Stocking Milk Tea
"Silk Stocking Milk Tea" is the most iconic Hong Kong-style milk tea, often referred to as "Hong Kong-style milk tea" in mainland China. Silk Stocking Milk Tea is a common beverage for daily breakfast and afternoon tea in Hong Kong, and the milk tea served in Hong Kong-style tea restaurants (cha chaan teng) is basically prepared using the Silk Stocking method.
The inventor of Silk Stocking Milk Tea was Lam Muk-ho, the founder of the time-honored Lan Fong Yuen in Central, Hong Kong. Before World War II, Hong Kong people generally drank coffee, and it was not until the 1950s and 1960s that milk tea became popular. However, the initial production of milk tea in Hong Kong was relatively crude, and the tea was bitter. In 1952, Lam Muk-ho opened a dai pai dong (open-air food stall) on Gage Street in Central, where he began to improve Hong Kong milk tea and created the delicious "Silk Stocking Milk Tea," which has remained popular for decades.
Is "Silk Stocking Milk Tea" really made with silk stockings? In fact, it uses a nylon net bag. The nylon net bag turns brown after being repeatedly soaked in tea, looking like a silk stocking from a distance, hence the name. The production of Silk Stocking Milk Tea is not complicated: first, put the black tea into a nylon net bag, then soak it in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes (known as "brewing the tea"), take out the net bag, pour the tea from the pot into a teapot, and then pour it back into the pot, repeating this process several times (known as "pulling the tea"). Finally, pour it into a cup containing milk, and it is ready to drink.
Although "Hong Kong-style milk tea" can be found in many places in mainland China, it is not as widespread as Taiwan's "bubble tea." The reason lies in the raw material used: Ceylon black tea. The black tea in Hong Kong-style milk tea is imported in large quantities from Sri Lanka, and the unique tropical climate with abundant rainfall in Sri Lanka gives the tea produced there a rich aroma.
II. Yuenyeung
Yuenyeung is a unique Hong Kong tea beverage. It is a mixture of black tea and coffee, hence the name "Yuenyeung" (referring to mandarin ducks, a symbol of a pair), and it is a must-have drink in Hong Kong-style tea restaurants.
Yuenyeung also originated from Hong Kong's dai pai dongs. The preparation method is very simple: just mix black tea and coffee in a 1:1 ratio and add whole milk. You can also choose to add sugar or condensed milk according to personal taste. Yuenyeung has both the aroma of coffee and the richness and smoothness of milk tea, offering a unique flavor.
The popularity of Hong Kong's Silk Stocking Milk Tea and Yuenyeung has greatly promoted the consumption of black tea among Hong Kong people, which in turn has influenced the way black tea is consumed in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Hong Kong's black tea culture has been influenced by British tea-drinking habits and cultural connotations. Hong Kong milk tea bears a distinct British imprint, which fully reflects the characteristics of Hong Kong's fusion of Chinese and Western cultural essences, imbuing tradition with a modern sense and highlighting unique charm amidst diversity.
