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There used to be two types of tea drinkers – those that drank tea only with milk (that is, only with cow’s milk), and those who thought that adding anything to tea was completely unacceptable. Those days seem to be gone. Today, even the most traditional tea drinkers are open to exploring the world of milk teas and the world of milk for teas. What are the most popular types? Let’s find out.

The history of milk in tea

Plant-based milk teas may be a new trend, but adding milk to tea is actually an old tradition. In tea producing countries, the proper way of drinking tea is still without milk or sugar. Interestingly, many of those countries have a traditional milk tea too. Malaysian Teh Tarik, Indian Chai or Hong Kong milk tea are all made with milk. There are several likely reasons tea drinkers started adding milk to tea – to prevent porcelain cups from cracking in contact with hot tea, to make lower quality teas taste better, or even to improve the nutritional value of tea. Initially, milk was added only to black or dark tea, and almost never to other types. (Yes, there’s an exception, and it’s really pretty. It’s called Noon Chai.)

Traditionally, all milk teas were made with dairy milk, but not always with cow’s milk. For example, the best milk for making authentic Indian Chai is buffalo’s milk. Traditional Tibetan Yak Butter tea will contain either yak’s butter or yak’s milk and sweet The Tarik is super creamy because of condensed milk. When most milk teas were invented, supermarkets didn’t have such a wide selection of milk. In fact, supermarkets were not even invented yet. Tea drinkers weren’t able to choose between skimmed milk, fortified oat milk or vanilla flavored rice milk. They followed a tradition and prepared and drank tea with what they had. And that was usually milk from animals that were common in their country.

Even today, most milk teas will taste the best using the original type of milk or full-fat cow’s milk. Cow’s milk is slightly sweet, has a neutral flavor that blends well with any type of tea and enough protein and fat to foam well and offer enough creaminess. But what if you are a vegan or want to avoid dairy altogether? Or even if you want to just experiment with different types to find the one you like the most? Is it possible to enjoy a delicious milk tea even with a plant-based milk?

Best plant-based milk for tea

Let’s say you want to make a cup of Indian Chai. What makes chai so creamy is a high fat content in cow’s milk (or, traditionally, buffalo’s milk, but it’s highly unlikely you will find it in your local convenience store). Replacing full-fat cow’s milk with skimmed cow’s milk will make chai watery and less enjoyable. Unfortunately, while many non-dairy milks taste great, they are far too watery for making a decent cup of milk tea. But there are exceptions.

Are non-dairy milks good for tea?

When talking about milk in tea, non-dairy milks can have a few disadvantages. Although many will have a great flavor, some may be too strong for lighter types of tea. When pairing milk with tea, you need the flavor of milk to be light, not overpowering. Some non-dairy milks can cause allergic reactions, especially a nut-based or a soy-based milk. And finally, they can curdle. If you ever tried adding non-dairy milk to a cup of hot coffee or tea, you know what we mean. Thankfully, there’s a solution for that too.  

Today, there are dozens of non-dairy milk alternatives on the market. They can be nut-based, seeds-based, legume-based, grain-based, and fruit-based. Theoretically, you could make milk with almost any seeds, legume, grain or nuts. So, if you can’t find the right type or want to experiment, peanut milk, barley milk or sesame milk are all very easy to make at home. 

The oat milk craze

Until recently, the ultimate substitute for dairy milk was a plant-based soy milk. It’s still one of the most common alternatives. Although soy milk is a great substitute for dairy milk, it may be a less great alternative for blending with tea. Flavor of soy milk is often too strong for many light teas. In fact, if you have a sensitive palate, even a few drops in a strong full-bodied black tea may be too much. After soy, almond milk is the second most popular plant-based milk. Unlike soy, almond milk has a lighter flavor, but often a watery texture.

And that’s how the oat’s milk became one of the most desirable plant-based alternatives on the market. With a slightly thicker consistency, very light flavor, and a low chance of an allergic reaction, it soon became one of the most used plant-based milks for adding to hot drinks. It was estimated that the global oat milk market in 2019 was worth around 3.7 billion USD, ½ of the global soy market[1]. Another great alternative to cow’s milk is cashew milk, and for those that love the coconut flavor – coconut milk (different from canned coconut milk). Not as popular, but amazing for frothing is pea milk. It usually has the same amount of fat and protein as semi-skimmed cow’s milk.

10 best types of milk with pros and cons

1.             Full fat cow’s milk – dairy milk

Pros: creamy, light flavor, goes well with strong black teas, will froth well, high in protein

Cons: too strong for lighter teas, common allergen, high in fat, not suitable for vegans

2.             Skimmed cow’s milk – dairy milk

Pros: light flavor, less fat, low in calories, goes well with medium-bodied black teas, some herbal and oolong teas

Cons: watery, common allergen, not suitable for vegans

3.             Soy milk – legume-based milk

Pros: plant based, creamy, goes well with very strong unflavored black teas, possible to froth, flavored types available too, good for matcha latte

Cons: strong flavor, common allergen, medium-high calories, could be a GMO

4.             Almond milk – nut-based milk

Pros: plant based, light flavor, very low in calories, goes well with lighter roasted oolongs

Cons: watery, common allergen, won’t forth well, low in protein, can contain a lot of sugar

5.             Oat milk – grain-based milk

Pros: plant based, light flavor, creamy, low in fat, special barista types available too, goes well with strong teas, flavored types available too

Cons: depending on the brand, it can be watery too, usually high in calories, can contain a lot of sugar

6.             Coconut milk – fruit-based milk

Pros: can be very creamy, great for black and oolong teas and spiced teas, high in fat and calories, froths well

Cons: specific coconut flavor, which is a plus if you like coconut, low in protein

7.             Rice milk – grain-based milk

Pros: neutral flavor, sometime too watery,can go well with lighter teas, naturally sweet

Cons: usually high in sugar, low protein, often quite watery, won’t froth well

8.             Cashew milk – nut-based milk

Pros: plant based, low in calories (both fat and sugar), goes well with strong and medium-bodied teas, very neutral flavor, probably the closest to cow’s milk, slightly sweet

Cons: common allergen, low in protein, may not froth well

9.             Hemp milk – seed-based milk

Pros: plant-based, low in carbs and sugar, more protein than many alternatives, specific but light flavor that may go well with some teas

Cons: potential allergen, sometimes too watery, high in fat

1.         Hazelnut milk – nut-based milk

Pros: usually creamy, goes well with black tea, types with more fat will froth well

Cons: great, but very strong flavor, usually very high in fat and might contain a lot of added sugar, common allergen

How to choose the best milk?

First, check if you are allergic to any of the ingredients. Next, try to pair flavors and choose the right texture. If you are making latte, full fat or semi-skimmed cow’s milk, coconut milk, special barista oat milk or pea milk are all great options. If you just want to add a bit of milk into your cup, then cashew, oat or semi-skimmed milk will be excellent alternatives too. Unless you really care about the froth, you can use any milk for making milk tea, but pay attention to milk-tea ratios and flavors. To prevent curdling, let the tea slightly cool before adding milk. And ultimately, if you don’t like the consistency or want to avoid added sugars, you can always make your own plant-based milk alternative.

Do you add milk to tea? Which one is your favorite?

 Sources:

[1] https://www.grandviewresearch.com