Writerly Comfort Food: Milk Tea

I've never been to Hong Kong. (I think Bellows Falls, Vermont is the furthest East I've ever gone.) I've never had real Hong Kong Milk Tea.

But in my foodie obsession and ever-constant recipe searches lately, I found a recipe for this delicious, magical drink that's really become a mainstay of my writing routine.

I should rephrase that: It would become a mainstay of any writing routine I might happen to adopt someday.

But routines or not, I've been drinking this stuff by the boatload and it's quite literally kicked my addiction to those overpriced lattes I buy once or twice a day. (Up to ten bucks a day in my pocket for more books!)

Anyway, I don't understand the cultural significance of it by far...only what I read on the internets. But it seems like a mainstay in Hong Kong and there are plenty of vendors with their own secret recipes.

Here's the generic recipe that works for me. I have tons of loose tea (Darjeeling and Ceylon. Both work great, but the richer, bolder the tea, the better the experience.) This tea is smooth, flavorful, sweet...all that goodstuff.

Hong Kong Milk Tea

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 2 Tbsp. black tealeaves (preferably a bold Ceylon tea)
• 1 small (14-ounce) can sweetened, condensed milk, or 14 ounces evaporated milk, plus sugar (to taste)

Preparation:

• Combine water and tealeaves and simmer about three to four minutes.
• Remove from heat and add milk (and sugar if desired.)
• Return to boil, simmer another two minutes.
• Strain. Serve.
  

Easy, right?

Happy writing. And eating! And drinking!