Do you like milk tea? Then you will fall in love with Hokkaido Milk Tea, a creamier version that is often confused with Bubble Tea as some versions contain tapioca pearls.
Hokkaido Milk Tea owes its name to the place where it was born: the Hokkaido province in Japan. This island is the largest in the eastern country and the country’s dairy area par excellence. There, this drink is known as royal milk tea and is prepared with a base of black tea and, of course, fresh local milk.
If you ever visit Japan, be sure to try this variety of tea. You will see how its soft and sweet flavor surprises you! Would you like to learn how to prepare it at home?
The taste of Hokkaido Milk Tea
This striking Japanese tea is made with black tea and fresh milk from that area of Japan. For this, quality tea leaves are used, mainly of the Darjeeling, Assam or Earl Gray varieties. In this way, the base of the Hokkaido Milk Tea is intense and powerful.
Brown sugar or even caramel syrup is usually added to this drink, in addition to milk. These two ingredients soften the intensity of the black tea a bit.
Some recipes also include tapioca bubbles that add flavor and texture. Although this variety is generally prepared with black tea, it is now possible to find options made with green or oolong tea; It is even possible to combine it with fruit or ice cream to add even more sweetness to the mixture. We will teach you the traditional recipe but you can modify it as you like.
In conclusion, the traditional Hokkaido Milk Tea has a relatively intense flavor, with toasty and earthy hints, as well as an extremely creamy texture provided by a high-fat milk.
Benefits of Japanese Milk Tea
We have already talked on other occasions about all the benefits of tea for health. Among them, the consumption of black tea provides us with flavonoids, substances with antioxidant properties that fight against oxidative stress, protecting our body from different diseases such as cardiovascular problems or Alzheimer’s and even premature aging.
On the other hand, different studies have pointed out that drinking black tea regularly would be beneficial for maintaining healthy blood cholesterol levels. It can also improve glucose tolerance, speeding up metabolism and contributing to weight loss.
Milk, for its part, provides calcium, protein and vitamins, predominantly A and D. As you can see, drinking Hokkaido Milk Tea can be good for your body. However, excesses are not good and drinking too much can lead to weight gain (due to the fat in whole milk and sugar or syrup) as well as dizziness, insomnia and high blood pressure, discomforts caused by caffeine.
When to drink Hokkaido Milk Tea ?
The reality is that you can drink it whenever you want, but lovers of this Japanese tea usually consume it in the morning since it combines the caffeine of black tea, which helps keep you alert but relaxed, with the creaminess of milk that makes it softer on the palate. In other words, Hokkaido Milk Tea provides a good dose of sweet energy.
Prepare Hokkaido Milk Tea at home
These recipes are easy to prepare at home and hardly any foreign ingredients are required. Although, of course, purists may tell you that authentic Hokkaido Milk Tea is made with Hokkaido milk, you can substitute any quality milk. Of course, it is better to use a milk with enough fat to increase the creaminess of the result. Another option is to add a little cream to the mixture to increase the percentage of fat.
Ingredients:
- A cup of water
- 2 teaspoons of loose black tea (the variety that you like the most) or a bag.
- 30 ml of Hokkaido milk (can be obtained in powder form), or failing that, quality whole milk.
- 20 ml caramel syrup or 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- Optional: tapioca pearls.
Elaboration:
- Heat the water to 95 ºC. Remember that water that is too hot will generate more bitter flavors in your tea, so it is better not to overdo it.
- Add the tea leaves or tea bags to the water and let it steep. In the case of black tea, you should infuse it between 4 and 5 minutes (6). Keep in mind that the longer the tea steeps, the stronger it will gain.
- Add the hot milk, but without it having come to a boil. If you have obtained it in powder, add it directly to the tea.
- Heat the cups of tea using very hot water. Fill each cup with water, then discard.
- Strain the tea with milk.
- Serve the caramel syrup in the cup and then the tea. If you prefer, serve the tea first and then add the brown sugar.
- Stir and drink.
In case you want to prepare it with another variety of tea, it is important that you pay attention to the manufacturer’s recommendations. It is not the same to infuse a black tea than an oolong or a green tea. Each of these types has different temperatures and brewing times. Do not forget!
Note: If you want to add tapioca bubbles, you will need to do it in the cup, before pouring in the tea and other ingredients.
If you suffer from intolerance to lactose or cow’s milk protein, you can replace milk with vegetable milk, without giving up the exquisite flavor of this infusion!
Do not hesitate and try the Hokkaido Milk Tea, you will see how its creamy flavor conquers your palate.