Going Places

Nai-Cha (milk tea in Cantonese) is something you must not miss when visiting Hong Kong. It is consumed by Hong Kongers almost on a daily basis. It’s a medley of black tea and milk – often evaporated milk or condensed milk is used.

Did you know?

Hong Kongers consume a total of 900 million cups of Nai Cha per year, which is equivalent to 212 million litres (to give you an idea.. the massive Dubai Aquarium tank contains 10 million litres of water. Quick math: Hong Kongers’  Nai Cha consumption in a year would fill up 20 of those giant tanks!

Why is it called Hong Kong style? 

Hong Kong was once ruled by British. The practice of British afternoon tea was cultivated amongst the locals. English tea was then improvised by Hong Kongers by replacing ordinary milk with evaporated or condensed milk.

The person who makes Nai Cha at HK style coffee shops are like the coffee baristas equivalent. To make a perfect cup of Nai Cha, one needs to know the types of black tea – often Pu Lei and a type of Ceylon tea, how much to mix with right proportion of milk and sugar. Making a cup of milk tea is an art itself.

How can one tell if the Nai Cha is good?

You look for smoothness – how creamy and full-bodied it is.

Some coffee shops would use silk stocking to filter Nai Cha to make it smoother.

Spot some white frothy residue inside the lip of the cup after a few sips and what does this mean? The white froth tells you the concentration of butterfat in the evaporated milk used is high enough.

Enjoy Nai Cha hot or cold, it’s up to you really. You can order Bing Jen Nai Cha (ice-bath milk tea) or Dong Nai Cha (cold milk tea) . If you like it with condensed milk instead of evaporated milk and sugar, ask for Cha jau . If you are open to try something different, opt for Yuen yeung. It means milk tea mixed with coffee.

Must try in Hong Kong 

Lan Fong Yuen is top on the list for its aromatic Nai Cha. Opened since 1953, this coffee shop is located on Gage St, Central Hong Kong. Its popularity is evident from the long queue outside even during non-peak hours.

Address: 2 Gage St, Central Hong Kong

Opening hours: Daily 7.30am till 6.00pm (closes on Sunday)

*Also has branches in Sheung Wan and Tsim Cha Tsui – I would recommend visiting the Central main branch to have an authentic Nai Cha experience.