Walk into any Thai tea shop and you'll usually see two colours on the menu: the deep orange-red of classic Thai milk tea, and a softer, more herbal green. Both come from ChaTraMue, Thailand's most recognized tea brand — but they're blended from different leaf, and mixing them up changes what ends up in the glass.
Thai Tea Mix Original: the one you already know
Our ChaTraMue Thai Tea Mix Original 400G is the classic — black tea blended with a warm, lightly spiced flavour, the base for the orange Thai milk tea you'd get from a street cart in Bangkok.
Thai Green Tea Mix: the lighter, more floral cousin
The ChaTraMue Thai Green Tea Mix 200G swaps the black tea base for green tea leaf, giving a lighter, more floral cup with less tannic bite. It still takes milk and sugar well, but it reads closer to a Thai-style green milk tea than the classic orange version — a good pick if the Original feels too heavy for you.
Which one should you buy?
New to Thai tea? Start with the Original — it's the flavour most people mean when they say "Thai tea." Already prefer green tea to black, or found the Original too rich? Reach for the Green Tea Mix instead.
How to make it — step by step (makes 2 tall glasses)
What you need:
- 3 tablespoons (about 20g) ChaTraMue Thai Tea Mix (Original or Green)
- 500ml water
- 3–4 tablespoons condensed milk (adjust to taste)
- A handful of ice per glass
- 2–3 tablespoons evaporated milk or fresh milk, for the top layer
- A muslin cloth, tea sock, or fine strainer
Steps:
- Bring the 500ml water to a full boil.
- Put the tea mix into your strainer or cloth, then steep it in the hot water for exactly 5 minutes — much longer and it turns bitter and over-extracted.
- Remove the tea leaves, and while the tea is still hot, stir in the condensed milk until fully dissolved.
- Let it cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or pour it straight over ice if you're in a hurry).
- Fill each glass about three-quarters full with ice.
- Pour the tea over the ice, filling to about 1cm from the top of the glass.
- Slowly pour the evaporated milk or fresh milk over the back of a spoon held just above the surface, so it floats on top instead of mixing in.
- Don't stir — serve it layered, and let each person mix it themselves as they drink.
Turn it into actual bubble tea
This same glass, with chewy tapioca pearls or a spoonful of fruity popping boba dropped in at step 5 (before the tea goes in), becomes an actual bubble tea instead of just iced tea. Our Popping Boba flavour guide covers exactly which one to add and why. →