A popular drink in Japan, Royal Milk Tea is an especially creamy milk tea – perfect with desserts!

I am what you would call a milk tea fanatic. That isn’t exaggerating. I drink at minimum 1-2 cups of tea a day and 90% of the time it’s Royal Milk Tea. We drank it like water in household growing up and when in Japan, I would get it at every vending machine or order it from cafes and restaurants. I am fully addicted and constantly joke my body is 80% milk tea (the other 20% is cake and bread, in case you were wondering).

What is Royal Milk Tea?

Royal Milk Tea may sound Western and fancy, but it actually originated in Japan in 1965 as part of Lipton’s “royal” recipe series (thank you, Lipton). The difference from regular milk tea is that the ratio of milk to water is higher in royal milk tea which lends to a creamier and richer texture.

In Japan, you can get Royal Milk Tea in many cafes and restaurants as well as in bottles at konbini (convenience stores) or in vending machines. My current favorite bottled royal milk tea is easily Kocha Kaden. However, I grew up on and still love Gogo No Kocha.

It is actually quite easy to make at home and is traditionally prepared like an Indian Chai, where all the ingredients are boiled together in a saucepan.

Let’s talk about the ingredients

The Tea

The most common types of tea used to make Royal Milk Tea are:

Assam: A full-bodied Indian black tea. It has a malty and strong flavor and is often sold as a “breakfast” tea. This is easily my favorite kind of tea.
Darjeeling: Another Indian black tea but one that quite a bit lighter in color and taste. It’s more floral and fruity and is often called the “Champagne of teas.”
Ceylon: A Sri Lankan black tea. This is bold, slightly citrusy, and spicy.

My preferred tea is actually a mix of Assam and Darjeeling. This means there is still a strong flavor but it’s a bit sweeter and brighter. I am currently addicted to Sloane Tea’s Signature Black, which is a blend of Darjeeling and Assam.

The Milk

Of course, you can use any kind of milk you prefer (low fat, milk alternatives) but I personally don’t feel like it tastes like Royal Milk Tea without whole milk. Whole milk gives you the heavy creaminess and body that I look for. The higher quality milk, the better, since much of this drink is milk.

The Sweetener

I find that plain sugar get you that classic flavor, but you can really use anything you like. I most commonly use raw sugar and many people I know use honey. Add the amount of sweetener that you prefer. I really love mine sweet so I put in quite a bit of sugar.

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