The History of Hong Kong-style Milk Tea

Hong Kong-style milk tea is a drink that is quintessentially Hong Kong, known for its rich aroma and taste. It has an unusual moniker among locals, which literally translates as “silk stocking milk tea”, which comes from the fine-meshed cotton strainer used to filter tea leaves and tea fannings in the tea-making process. As the strainer is made of white cotton cloth, it becomes stained with the colour of the tea after prolonged use. The colour and shape remind one of flesh-coloured silk stockings, hence the name.

After Hong Kong was under colonial administration of Britain officially in 1842, Western-style tea made from fine Ceylon tea, milk and sugar was introduced by the English who moved here. Even at the beginning of the 20th century, having Western-style tea in high-class Western-style restaurants was a privilege exclusive to the elites.

The early version of English “tea with milk” used expensive ingredients, and it was too mild for local plebeian taste. The beverage became truly “localised” only after the Second World War when the population boom in the 1950s led to employment issues and rise in food-and-beverage needs. The government issued a large number of licences for very basic eateries like bing sutt (ice cafés or also namely bing ting), dai pai dong (big licence stall or street food stall) etc. to cater to the consumption demand of citizens and workers. A new, smoother version of milk tea was thus created, with the invention of a fine-meshed cotton strainer to filter tea leaves and tea fannings. Also, to cut costs, tea leaves with a lower grade were used to strengthen the flavour, and condensed milk replaced fresh milk to provide the calories needed by the working class engaged in physical labour. This localised version of milk tea quickly caught on by virtue of its strength and relative sweetness. Later as the economy continued to improve, the bing sutt tearooms were replaced by the Hong Kong-style cafés (cha chaan teng), while the number of street food stalls dwindled. Today, the Hong Kong-style milk tea is no longer limited to low-end food stalls but is a popular offering in different types of restaurants.