The glass comes to the table with a pale cap of foam still settling, and the first sip brings ginger heat to the back of the throat before the sweetness arrives. Under it sits strong black tea, simmered long enough to grip the tongue, softened by a spoonful of condensed milk. Teh halia is what Malaysians order at the kopitiam and the mamak after a plate of roti canai or a rich, spicy rice meal. It is made glass by glass: tea and grated ginger brewed together, strained, sweetened, then poured from one cup to another until the surface turns to froth.
Teh Halia at the Kopitiam and the Mamak
The name is plain Malay. Teh is tea and halia is ginger, and the drink sits squarely in the family of teh tarik, the "pulled" milk tea that is thrown between two vessels to raise a foam. Teh halia is that same tea with ginger added, which gives it a sharper, hotter edge. With milk in it, it also goes by teh susu halia (susu means milk), and when pulled, teh tarik halia.
You find it at two kinds of places across the Malaysian table. The kopitiam is the old-style coffee shop, where tea is brewed in big metal pots through a cloth "sock" packed with leaves. The mamak is the eatery that is often open until late at night, and teh halia is a fixture on its drinks list. People order it on rainy days, during an afternoon break, and above all after a heavy meal; it is the glass that follows nasi lemak or nasi biryani, when the ginger cuts through the oil and spice.
Indonesia's wedang jahe, Korea's saenggang-cha and Japanese shoga-yu are ginger drinks made by simmering ginger in water. Teh halia starts from strong black tea and adds milk, which puts it with teh tarik rather than with those ginger infusions.
How to order it
Ordering tea in Malaysia is a small language of its own. Plain teh comes with condensed milk. Teh C uses evaporated milk instead. Teh O has sugar and no milk, teh O kosong has neither, teh siew dai cuts the sugar, and teh peng is served over ice. Teh halia takes the same modifiers: teh halia peng for iced, teh O halia for no milk, teh halia C for evaporated milk, teh halia kosong for no sugar, gao for stronger and po for weaker.
Mamak drinks run very sweet, and locals ask for kurang manis, "less sweet", as a matter of habit. Each shop also strikes its own balance between milk and ginger. Some slice the ginger, some crush it; some finish with condensed milk, others with evaporated. The home cup here is far less sweet than a shop glass, which leaves room to add condensed milk until it matches the cup you remember.
Where the tea came from
British tea imports from the early 1800s shaped Singapore's tea culture, and pulled tea was brought to the region by Indian migrants. Where teh halia itself was first made is not settled, and even the writers who have looked into it only guess. The same drink, under the same name, is poured in Singapore and Brunei; in Singapore's hawker centres, stalls devoted to teh halia draw queues.
Ingredients (serves 2)
Sweetened condensed milk is a dairy product. Anyone with a milk allergy should skip it; teh O halia, without milk, is the version for them.
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Grater with fine metal teeth
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Two heatproof glasses or porcelain cups, one of them large enough to hold both servings
- Teaspoon for stirring
- Measuring cup and measuring spoons
Choosing Tea, Ginger and Milk
The glass rests on three layers: strong tea, sharp ginger and sweet, rich milk. Keep all three and the cup tastes like a kopitiam; lose one and it drifts toward another drink.
| Ingredient | What to buy | What a swap changes |
|---|---|---|
| Tea | Ceylon black tea, loose or from tea bags | Assam is a strong alternative that stands up well to ginger heat |
| Ginger | Firm, mature root ginger | Young ginger is mild, and the glass loses its bite |
| Milk | Sweetened condensed milk | Evaporated milk makes teh halia C, with much less sweetness |
| Cups | Thick heatproof glass or porcelain | Thin glass is a poor match for boiling tea and the pull |
Condensed milk is the one to check carefully, because the tins sit side by side: sweetened condensed milk is thick and syrupy, while evaporated milk is pourable and unsweetened. Pick up the wrong tin and you have made a different order from the menu.
Method
The work is short and runs in one line. Grate the ginger first, since it goes into the pot the moment the water boils. The only hands-off stretch is the 10 minutes on low heat; use it to set the strainer over the glass. Everything after that happens fast, and the tea is drunk hot.
Pulling means pouring hot tea from a height between two cups. Do it over the sink with heatproof cups, let the tea settle for a moment after stirring before you start, and stop after 5 pours.
When It Goes Wrong
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Bitter, mouth-drying tea | The full 10-minute brew pulls a lot of tannin | Stir in a little more condensed milk now. Next time, use a little less tea |
| Ginger barely there | Young or tired ginger, or ginger grated long before | Use firm, mature ginger, grate it just before the water boils, and add more next time |
| No foam on top | The pour was too low | Raise the upper glass for the next pass, staying within 5 pours |
| Thinner and less sweet than a mamak glass | The home amount of condensed milk is restrained; shop glasses are much sweeter | Stir in more condensed milk a little at a time until it tastes right |
| Too sweet for you | Your own taste runs lighter | Next time, use a little less condensed milk |
Serving and Variations
Teh halia is drunk hot, in a glass, straight after the pull, while the foam is still standing. Make it when everyone is ready to sit down. At breakfast it goes with roti canai and a little curry for dipping. In the evening it follows nasi lemak or a biryani. On a wet afternoon it needs no food at all.
Ten minutes of simmering makes strong tea, so anyone sensitive to caffeine should drink less of it. Ginger taken by mouth can cause stomach discomfort, heartburn, diarrhoea, or mouth and throat irritation. If you take medication or are pregnant, talk with a health professional about ginger first. Most research on ginger and nausea uses supplements rather than food, so treat this glass as a drink, not a remedy. Condensed milk is sweetened, and shop versions carry far more of it than this one.
Teh halia peng (iced)
Pour the finished, pulled tea over a glass of ice. The melting ice thins it, so taste once it is cold and stir in a little more condensed milk if it has gone flat. This is the version for a hot afternoon.
Teh O halia (no milk)
Leave out the condensed milk and drink the tea and ginger on their own, sweetened with sugar if you like. Without milk, the ginger heat comes forward and the tea tastes sharper and cleaner. This is also the cup for anyone avoiding dairy.
Teh halia C (evaporated milk)
Use unsweetened evaporated milk in place of condensed milk. The glass turns lighter and much less sweet, so stir in a little sugar or a spoonful of condensed milk to bring back the roundness.
With lemongrass or cinnamon
Some cooks add lemongrass or cinnamon to the pot. Each one pulls the drink toward a spiced masala tea, which is a different glass, so keep it as an occasional change rather than the everyday teh halia.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make it for more people?
Multiply every ingredient by the same number and keep the method the same. Scale all four together; raising only the tea or only the ginger changes the balance of the glass. Use a saucepan with enough room for the larger volume of water, and pull the tea in batches between two glasses.
Can I use ordinary milk instead of condensed milk?
Yes. Whole milk with a little sugar gives a lighter, less rich glass than condensed milk. Warm the tea well before adding the milk so the drink stays hot for the pull. For the taste of a kopitiam, sweetened condensed milk is what to buy.
Can I skip the pull?
You can stir and drink it straight away, and it still tastes of tea and ginger. The pull adds air, which gives the foam on top and a smoother, lighter feel in the mouth. Even two or three high pours over the sink make a difference.
