Did you know? Teh tarik isn't pulled just for show, there's science behind it

Picture ordering a teh tarik at a mamak stall, and the tea guy just pours it straight from the jug into your glass. Something feels off, right? For most of us, teh tarik isn't complete without that high, dramatic pour.

But the move isn't only about looking cool. Every pull is doing real work.

What does "pulled" actually mean?

Teh tarik literally means "pulled tea". The tea is poured back and forth between two containers from a height, over and over, until a layer of foam forms on top.

According to Infopedia, from the National Library Board of Singapore, the tea is usually poured from about one metre up, and a pull longer than an arm's length is preferred. No wonder the tea maker looks like he's doing morning stretches.

Three jobs in one pull

As the tea flies from one mug to the other, three things happen at once:

• It cools the tea. Teh tarik is made with very hot water. Pulling brings it down to a comfortable drinking temperature, so your tongue survives.
• It mixes the milk. Malaysian teh tarik uses sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk, not the fresh milk used in Indian pulled tea. Condensed milk is thick, so pulling helps it blend fully into the tea.
• It builds the foam. Each time the tea splashes into the mug, air gets trapped in the liquid. The result is the soft layer of froth that crowns a good teh tarik.

Many people also believe pulling makes the tea taste better. A Malay Mail writer once compared the effect to aerating wine, though that comes from drinkers' experience, not a lab test.

The foam secret: high, fast and not too much milk

A small study in the Sunan Kalijaga Journal of Physics (2022) tried to measure the physics of teh tarik. Researchers in Indonesia poured tea from heights of roughly 0.40 to 1.09 metres and tracked the motion with video analysis software.

Their conclusion: the most foam came from the highest and fastest pour. One caveat, though. The foam in this study was judged by eye, not measured with instruments.

Tea makers on the ground say much the same. Senthil Kumar, a tea master at ZamZam restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, told Arab News that short pulls don't add enough air. The skill, he said, is alternating short and long pulls.

Did you know? According to Senthil Kumar, too much condensed milk actually makes the tea denser and harder to froth. So you can ask for it extra "kaw", but you might get a little less foam.

From rubber estate stalls to mamak shops

Teh tarik is credited to Indian Muslim immigrants in the Malay Peninsula. They ran drink stalls, known as sarabat stalls, at the entrances of rubber plantations to serve the workers.

That's why teh tarik is often called a mamak drink. According to Infopedia, the word "mamak" is traced to a Tamil word meaning "uncle".

After World War II, vendors switched to cheaper tea dust, which tastes bitter. Condensed milk was added to mask that bitterness. Tea dust is also what gives teh tarik its strong flavour and the orange colour we know today.

Recognised by UNESCO alongside roti canai and nasi lemak

Teh tarik is often called Malaysia's unofficial national drink. Singapore also considers it a local specialty, and its exact origin is still debated between the two countries.

What's certain is that on 5 December 2024, UNESCO added "Breakfast culture in Malaysia: dining experience in a multi-ethnic society" to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The element's description names teh tarik, alongside nasi lemak and roti canai.

In other words, our breakfast culture, foamy teh tarik included, now has global recognition.

So next time you see the tea guy pouring from way up high, you'll know he isn't just showing off. He's cooling, mixing and frothing, all in one move.

Are you team teh tarik kaw, kurang manis, or teh tarik ais?