Teh-tarik

Ask any Malaysian worth his or her salt to name their favourite tea, and most likely it is the teh-tarik. Literally meaning "pull tea", the drink is prepared using out-stretched hands to pour piping hot tea from a mug into a waiting glass. The higher the pull the thicker the froth. Often found in Indian hawker stalls or restaurants, preparing the teh-tarik is both an art and science.

In expert hands, the action of streaming tea back and forth the containers is a feast for the eyes. This visual treat involves vigourous almost acrobatic like-movements of the hands and arms, as the tea steadily spills into receiving ends. Poetry in motion.

There is a reason behind this unusual method of serving tea. It is believed that the technique of stretching the tea helps it to mix well with another essential ingredient, the condense milk. Thus, bringing out the strong aroma and the subtle taste of tea. Also, the beverage cools faster this way. Style with substance.

By Hooi You Ching