Literally translated as the “Fragrant Harbor” in Chinese, Hong Kong enjoys high economic status in Asia as a metropolis.
That’s not without the period of rapid growth under British colonization. With this growth came a fusion of Western elements in the local cuisine, improvising many British staples.
Instead of regular milk in the black tea British people, Hong Kongers used evaporated or condensed milk.
And so according to my title, afternoon tea was where pantyhose played a role in cuisine.
…………DID YOU REALLY THINK SO? Shame on you.
Okay, I admit that this namesake is a little bizarre at first glance, yet it’s where the charm of this preparation method is.
Don’t worry, that’s not a real stocking. Hong Kong-style milk tea is nicknamed the “silk stockings” milk tea (絲襪奶茶 in Chinese) due the resemblance the filter used to separate tea leaves has with those stockings after going through this process multiple times. These “stockings” are attributed for making the tea smooth and milky.
I wish that writing an article on this creamy drink would actually help my craving, but I guess not. *shrugs*
A street booth with personality it is, that place that invented this drink –
I’m that fellow who doesn’t get the point of noble High Tea versus having a pineapple bun from a Chinatown bakery and using that powder in your pantry (not as great as the real deal though) to make Hong Kong style milk tea and call it a feast. It’s a “street drink” that rivals the everyday status of coffee to those who live by it.
By the way, I know it’s not affordable to buy a plane ticket to Hong Kong for this, but you can find this signature in any Hong Kong-style cafe nowadays. The Chinatown here in Calgary is a good place to start.
On that thought, if you aspire to head to Hong Kong one day like me (geez, too much Cantonese TV dramas), we can go together to that little restaurant, sipping that tea like no other. 🙂
Lastly, watch this competition on who can make the best “silk stocking” milk tea!