Tea Guides

Milk tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world. There's the classic British builder's tea (milk in first, always), Indian masala chai simmered in whole milk, and Hong Kong milk tea strained through silk stockings to make it extra smooth. Billions of cups of tea are drunk with milk every day, and there are good reasons for it.

Here's the chemistry behind why milk and tea go together, when to add milk, and which teas suit it best.

Why milk works in tea

Black tea contains tannins, polyphenols that give it its astringency. When you drink black tea straight, the tannins bind to proteins in your saliva, which causes that dry, slightly rough feeling on your tongue and inside your cheeks. Some people enjoy it, but many find it too much.

Milk contains casein proteins, which bind easily to tannins. Add milk and the casein grabs the tannins before they reach your saliva, so the cup tastes noticeably softer, rounder, and less astringent. The tea keeps its body and flavour, but loses its harsh edges.

Milk also changes the colour (lighter and more opaque) and the texture (creamier and heavier). Whether that's an improvement depends on what you want from your cup.

When not to add milk

Milk suits some teas and spoils others.

Skip it in green and white tea. These teas have little or no astringency to soften, and their character is delicate, floral, and grassy. Milk drowns those flavours and binds to their catechins, reducing the health benefits. Green tea with milk is the worst of both worlds: you lose the flavour and the nutrition at once.

Skip it in good, complex black teas. Premium single-origin black teas with distinct flavours, like the muscatel of a Darjeeling-style tea, the dark cherry of a high-altitude Nepali black, or the honey-malt of a carefully made first flush, deserve to be tasted plain at least once. Milk hides nuance, so if you've paid for an exceptional tea, try it on its own first.

Skip it in oolong. Oolongs sit between black and green tea in oxidation, and milk buries their complex, layered flavours. The exception is heavily roasted oolongs (like Taiwanese baozhong or high-roast oolongs), where milk can suit the toasty character.

When to add milk

Milk really does improve some black teas, especially:

• strong, tannic black teas made for it, such as robust Assam or Ceylon blends, strong breakfast teas, or any black tea where astringency is part of the point rather than part of its complexity
• chai and spiced teas, where the fat in milk carries the aromas of the spices (cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, clove) into the drink
• second or third steeps of black tea, where the flavour has softened and a little milk adds body

Milk in first or last?

The British argument over whether milk goes in before or after the tea has a practical answer: add it after. Adding milk to hot tea, instead of pouring tea onto cold milk, lets you control the amount exactly and see the tea's colour, which helps you judge the strength. "Milk first" began when bone china cups were thin enough that hot tea might crack them, and cold milk softened the shock. With modern mugs, that reason no longer applies.

Which of our teas work best with milk

Our boldest teas take milk best. The Ruby Black Tea, full-bodied with dark cherry and malt, holds its character with milk. A splash of whole milk softens the tannins and the fruit still comes through clearly.

The Special Black Tea (Theba Black, from Taplejung at 6,000 feet) has a deep, aromatic profile that can handle milk too, because its high-altitude character is strong enough to come through.

The Gold Black Tea is best without milk, since its delicate honey-malt flavour is worth tasting on its own. If you prefer milk, though, it's forgiving enough to still be very pleasant.

All three ship across Canada, the USA, and select regions around the globe from our base in Canada.

How much milk to add

Start small, with 1 to 2 tablespoons per 250ml cup, and adjust from there. You want to soften the astringency without washing out the flavour. If the tea tastes watery or you can't taste the tea anymore, you've added too much.

Whole milk gives the fullest texture, 2% is a good middle ground, and skim makes the cup much less creamy. Of the plant milks, oat milk comes closest to the body of whole milk in tea. Almond milk is thinner and adds a slightly nutty taste that can either suit the tea or clash with it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does adding milk to tea reduce caffeine?
No. Milk doesn't change how much caffeine is in your tea.

Does milk in tea reduce health benefits?
Partly. Casein binding to tannins does reduce how much of the tea's polyphenols you absorb. If you're just drinking for enjoyment, that hardly matters, but if you drink tea for its antioxidants or health benefits, black tea without milk gives you more of them.

What temperature should tea be before adding milk?
There's no strict rule, but very hot tea straight off the boil can slightly scald cold milk if you pour it all in at once. A splash of cold milk in hot tea is fine for most people. For the creamiest result, use milk at room temperature.

Can I add condensed milk to tea?
Yes. Sweetened condensed milk is traditional in Hong Kong milk tea and many Southeast Asian teas, and it adds sweetness and creaminess in one go. Go easy, since it's very sweet; a teaspoon per cup is usually enough.

Why does my tea curdle when I add milk?
Usually the milk is close to going off, or the tea is very acidic (strong green or fruit teas). Fresh milk shouldn't curdle in black or oolong tea, so if it does, check the milk first.