Making a pink tea is a science and getting the perfect pink colour is not always as straightforward as it sounds. To get the perfect pink colour and the best flavour, you will need to follow the exact steps and use the right amount of ingredients with the right flavour. Inspired by a beautiful Kashmir Chai, this simple iced pink tea will take 10-15 minutes to make and will taste great served over ice.
What is pink tea?
Pink tea or pink chai is a drink made with green tea. It's unique to Kashmir and hence the name – Kashmir chai. Kashmir chai can contain either salt or sugar. There are many recipes you can try out, but ultimately, it will all come down to ingredients and ratios. What all recipes have in common is 4 basic ingredients – water, green tea, milk, and bicarbonate of soda. Bicarbonate of soda is the ingredient that will change your tea colour from deep yellow brown to deep red.
Some pink teas are sweetened with sugar, and others are made with salt. They can also include spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, and star anise and are sometimes served with crushed pistachios, almonds, and rose petals. Pre-made blends are available too, but you don't need one to make a perfect pink chai. But you will need a perfect green tea.
Are all pink teas Kashmir chai?
No, not all pink teas are Kashmir chai, just like not all milk teas are Indian chai. You can experiment with flavours and colours to find the one you like the most. Gunpowder or Indian green teas are mostly used for achieving both the best flavour and pretty pink colour. To make a simple pink tea you will need all the basic ingredients – strong, slightly smoky and smooth green tea, water, bicarbonate of soda and milk.
Do you have to use milk to make pink tea?
Yes, milk is the essential ingredient for making a pink tea. By adding milk to simmered tea, the colour will change from deep red into light pink. How light and intense it will be will depend on the amount of milk you add. You can make it creamier by adding condensed milk or a coffee creamer.
Which milk is the best for making simple iced pink tea?
While you can choose any milk, a full fat cow's milk will give the best texture. To make a latte, steam it and froth it before adding to tea. Even for making a regular pink milk tea, steam the milk to get a thicker texture, but you can discard the foam. Alternatively, dairy-free thicker milk like cashew milk or barista milks will be great options too. If you are using already sweetened milk, you may not need an additional sweetener.
Which green tea is the best for making pink tea?
You can make a pink tea from almost any green tea, but not all teas will give the same colour and flavour. Slightly smoky, smooth green teas with a deeper flavour will usually work the best. Avoid steamed or shaded green teas with intense grassy flavour or teas that are naturally very light. Pink tea won't taste as pure green tea, but it will still keep the teas character. Green teas with light floral notes are also a great choice.
Try it with:
- Gunpowder green tea
- Indian green tea with wiry dark green-brownish leaves
- Nepali green tea with wiry leaves green-brownish leaves
Use teas you would normally enjoy drinking. Even though simmering will give a more intense flavour, your tea should still be fresh instead of stale.
TESTED -> MAKING PINK TEA WITH 5 DIFFERENT GREEN TEAS
How to add more flavour?
Pink tea has a very distinctive, creamy flavour. It's not a green tea, and it's not a typical chai either. To add more flavour to your iced pink tea, simmer the tea leaves together with spices, or you can add a drop of baking extract once the tea is ready. Vanilla, rum and rose are all wonderful options. If you need an additional sweetener, try it with honey or brown sugar.
Simple Iced Pink Tea
Equipment
- small saucepan
- Electric frother
- Kitchen strainer
- Spoon
Ingredients
- 250 ml of water
- 100 ml of icy cold water
- 2 teaspoons of green tea leaves
- Pinch of bicarbonate of soda (1/6 of a teaspoon)
- 2 glasses of ice (serving glasses)
- 200 ml of whole milk
- 2 teaspoons of honey (one per glass) (optional)
Instructions
- Add 250ml of water into a small saucepan together with tea leaves.
- Bring it to a boil and reduce the heat to medium low.
- Add apinch of bicarbonate of soda. A pinch would equal about 1/6 of a levelledteaspoon. Add very little because the bicarbonate of soda may ruin the taste. Stir.
- Simmer for 10 minutes and stir the tea occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and add icy cold water.
- Strain it into serving glass filled with ice.
- Add milk into a small saucepan and turn on the heat to medium-low.
- Immediately start frothing the milk with an electric whisk. Do not let it boil.
- Milk will be ready when you have a layer of thick foam. This will take only a couple of minutes.
- Pour it into glasses with tea and top up with froth.