Lots of visitors traveling in Japan have been obsessed with milk tea in Japan.
A deeply, creamy, sweetened black tea with milk.
Milk tea is a popular cafe drink menu in Japan, you can buy it in a bottle or a can everywhere even in vending machines on the streets throughout Japan.
Particularly, “Kirin Gogo no Kocha” is the most famous bottled milk tea among Japanpphlies.
Speaking of instant royal milk tea, “Nitto instant royal milk tea” has high reviews from domestic to worldwide.
AGF cafe latory is popular as instant cafe drinks, yet, royal milk tea is often in the top-selling.
Even at Starbucks in Japan, you can customize “tea latte” to “royal milk tea”.
To make royal milk tea at home is not so hard, but, it’s better to use Assam tea and whole milk (or half&half).
Then, do you want to ask me what Hokkaido milk tea is?
Honestly, I really don’t know. Even I am not sure where it comes from.
Anyway, it seems that Hokkaido milk tea and royal milk tea are the same things.
So, I am going to tell you about milk tea in Japan and about royal milk tea.
- Milk Tea & Royal Milk Tea In Japan
- What’s Exactly Royal Milk Tea?
- Milk Tea At Starbucks In Japan
- Kirin “Gogo-No-Kocha” Afternoon Milk Tea
- Nitto Kocha Instant Royal Milk Tea
- Cafe Latory Rich Royal Milk Tea
Milk Tea & Royal Milk Tea In Japan
There are two types of milk tea in Japan- milk tea and royal milk tea.
Milk tea is black tea with milk added in the other words.
When you order “milk tea” in Japanese coffee shops, you will be asked “lemon or milk”?
In the easiest and common cases, milk tea is added coffee creamer.
Royal milk tea is the Japanese term that refers to stewed milk or chai (without spices) which is the tea brewed in boiled milk.
What’s Exactly Royal Milk Tea?
In fact, there is no clear definition for royal milk tea in Japan.
In Japan, royal milk tea refers generally to a luxury black tea added plenty of milk.
It seems that black tea added more than 50% milk is often called royal milk tea.
As I said, royal milk tea is brewed in boiled milk, but black tea cannot be properly extracted with milk actually.
So, Assam tea leaves which have a rich flavor and color that is comparable to milk are commonly chosen for Royal milk tea.
Royal milk tea will be yummy with sugar.
Even if you don’t use sugar when you drink black tea, please try adding sugar when you make royal milk tea.
Milk Tea At Starbucks In Japan
It seems that a similar drink with royal milk tea at Starbucks is called royal English breakfast tea latte so I can tell you how to order “royal milk tea” at a Starbucks in Japan.
Starbucks in Japan has a regular menu called Tea Latte.
When ordering the tea latte, tell a barista “all milk” or “breve milk” instead since the tea latte (hot) is basically made with half & half water and milk.
It will be a royal milk tea and you can enjoy a rich milky tea latte.
If you want to ask for more options to upgrade flavor, ask him/her to brew tea leaves in boiled water first.
Moreover, you can choose your favorite Starbucks tea latte from 5 flavors- English breakfast, Earl Gray, roasted green tea aka “Hojicha”, chamomile, and joyful medley.
I think English breakfast is the best for royal milk tea.
To get closer to the taste of authentic Japanese royal milk tea, add two pushes of white mocha syrup!
If you want to order iced royal tea, ask a barista to make your customized tea latte (explained above) or order “iced black tea” and add milk, and white mocha syrup.
Kirin “Gogo-No-Kocha” Afternoon Milk Tea
Kirin Afternoon Tea Relax Milk Tea
It’s a full-bodied black tea, really rich, yummy, and refreshing.
It goes well both hot and iced, and you will be obsessed with this mysterious sweet tea beverage.
Nitto Kocha Instant Royal Milk Tea
Nitto Kocha Instant Royal Milk Tea is an instant milk tea powder.
You can enjoy Japanese unforgettable sweet royal milk tea anytime, easily, and quickly at home.
It gets great reviews from customers who have been obsessed with Japanese royal milk tea since they left Japan.
Cafe Latory Rich Royal Milk Tea
Cafe Latory is the luxury instant coffee powder stick produced by AGF.
Cafe Latory rich royal milk has a high-quality tea flavor and aroma, a rich creamy taste, and a frothy milk top!
It can provide a luxury coffee break and recharge you with a deep creamy and sweet taste.
More About Cafe Latory Series
I Wanna Ask You What Hokkaido Milk Tea
Lots of websites tell me that “Hokkaido milk tea is a black tea added to the domestic produced milk from Hokkaido”.
I didn’t know that!
Hokkaido is the farthest north of the main island and is famous for its agricultural and dairy products, well, it makes sense.
Indeed, I can find a few tea products called “Hokkaido milk tea” or “Hokkaido royal milk tea” that existed.
However, the Japanese may have no clue what you are talking about when you say “Hokkaido milk tea” in Japan.
It also seems like the royal milk tea added Hokkaido milk contains heavy cream is called “Hokkaido milk tea”.
In the summary, royal milk tea and Hokkaido milk tea are the same concepts. In some countries, Hokkaido milk tea refers to the kind of bubble tea.
I am a native Japanese, and I don’t have the best answer for it.
How To Make Royal Milk Tea At Home
Forget The Diet! Royal Milk Tea Should Be Sweet!
Royal milk tea will be more mellow and delicious when sweetened.
Especially, this recipe uses plenty of tea leaves and whole milk (or half&half), so the taste will be well-balanced when adding more sugar than usual.
Why Assam Tea Is The Best Tea For Making Royal Milk Tea
Choosing black tea is also important for making milk tea.
Assam tea is typically a strong flavor tea and can go well with milk tea.
Especially, Assam tea from India and Sri Lanka is the best black tea for royal milk tea.
This is because milk can eliminate the refreshing aroma of Darjeeling.
Contrary, Darjeeling, which enjoys the aroma most, does not go well with making royal milk tea.
*However, since royal milk tea is a self-care item for your relaxing time, in fact, some people drink Darjeeling as milk tea so you should try various tea to your liking.
Vahdam, Assam Black Tea Leaves (200+ Cups) is 100% pure Assam tea from India with a rich strong flavor that is perfect for royal milk tea and even can stand out in rich milky flavor.
Mrs Tea's Rich Royal Milk Tea (Hot)
Equipment
- milk pan
- teapot
- fine strainer
Ingredients
- ¾ cup boiled water
- 2 tbsp Assam loose tea leaves 2 heaping tbsp
- 1 cup milk *whole milk or half&half is better
- brown sugar to taste or honey
- 2 dashes white mocha syrup *optional
- Boiled water for warming a tea set
Instructions
- Warm up a tea set with boiled water.
- Steep Assam loose tea leaves with boiled water in a bowl or cup with a lid on.
- Steam large tea leaves for 5 minutes and small tea leaves for 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, allow the milk to boil with low heat in a milk pan.
- Once the milk begins boiling, turn off the stove. *Do not boil milk completely.
- Transfer steeped tea leaves to a teapot using a fine strainer to remove tea leaves.
- Pour out every last drop (called a golden drop). Try to not move aggressively the tea leaves avoiding an unpleasant taste coming out.
- Sweeten with brown sugar or honey.
- Add boiling milk and mix once gently.
Assam Tea Leaves CTC Is The Best For Making Iced Royal Milk Tea
Now, the problem is when making iced royal milk tea at home.
It doesn’t taste good (luxury) at all even if you just throw ice cubes in hot royal milk tea.
Here, is a method of making a rich base tea solution extracted by boiling tea leaves and mixing it with cold milk.
You can definitely make overwhelmingly delicious iced royal milk tea.
When especially making iced royal milk tea, use tea leaves called CTC.
CTC is the processing black tea method that stands for crush, tear and curl.
The tea leaves will be into small pellets after the manufacturing process.
Unlike other types of tea leaves, you can get a strong tea flavor that is comparable to milk.
Mrs Tea's Authentic Iced Royal Milk Tea
Equipment
- 1 milk pan
- 1 fine strainer
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Assam tea leaves CTC
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tbsp sugar syrup
- Cold milk
Instructions
- Place CTC tea leaves and water in a milk pan. Allow the water to boil.
- The tea leaves in the pot start to dance while the water boiling. It's done if the tea leaves are rising up. Keep an eye on it as it will boil quickly.
- Transfer tea to a server using a fine strainer to remove tea leaves.
- Fill a glass with ice cubes. Add Assam tea and pour over cold milk gently. To make a glass of iced royal milk tea, the ratio of tea to milk is 1: 3 or 1: 4.
- Add sugar syrup or flavor syrup as desired.
- If you want to make 2 layered iced royal milk tea, pour the cold milk mixed with sugar syrup first. Gently, pour Assam tea along a glass wall.
- **Milk mixed with sugar syrup first can bring beautiful 2 layers.
Use Japanese Cast Iron “Kyusu” Tea Pot
Japanese traditional cast iron “Kyusu” teapot is excellent to hold the heat.
The Bottom Line
The charm of milk tea is one of the best cozy drinks for relaxing coffee time to ease your body and mind.
To make royal milk tea, let’s use whole milk or half&half without counting calories.
Find the golden customizing by trying different kinds of tea leaves (strong flavor and color is recommended), types of milk, and sweeteners. You can make a favorite milk tea each time.
Use a special teacup while imagining being in a Royal family.