Short answer: milk tea works best with a full-bodied, malty black tea, because milk dilutes and coats the tea; a weak base leaves you tasting mostly milk. For differentiation, try a roasted oolong or a spiced black tea such as ginger or cinnamon.
■ Why milk tea needs a strong base
The fat and protein in milk soften the tea's astringency and dull its aroma, so milk tea usually needs a stronger brew than tea served straight.
■ How to brew strong without bitterness
- Add more leaf rather than steeping longer; over-long steeping raises bitterness and astringency.
- Separate the tea from the leaves as soon as it is brewed to stop extraction.
■ Frastea teas for milk tea
- Black Tea: full-bodied with classic malt notes, a dependable base for milk tea and straight tea menus.
- Empress Roasted Oolong Tea: roasting brings caramel and toasted-nut notes, ideal for oolong milk tea.
- Ginger Black Tea and Cinnamon Black Tea: warm and spicy, good for seasonal hot milk teas and lattes.
■ Recipe ideas
- Boba Milk Tea: black tea + boba + fresh milk + milk cap.
- Cinnamon Ginger Milk Black Tea: ginger black tea + fresh milk + milk cap + cinnamon.
Full steps are in the Brewing articles of the Tea & Herb Journal.簡單回答:奶茶最適合用口感厚實、帶麥芽香的紅茶,因為牛奶會稀釋並包覆茶味,茶底不夠濃就會只剩奶味。想做出差異化,可以改用烘焙香明顯的烏龍茶,或帶辛香的薑紅茶、肉桂紅茶。
■ 為什麼奶茶需要「濃」的茶底
牛奶的脂肪與蛋白質會柔化茶的澀感,也會讓香氣變淡。所以奶茶用的茶湯,通常要比純茶更濃。
■ 怎麼萃得濃又不苦
・優先「增加茶葉量」,而不是「拉長浸泡時間」:泡太久會讓澀味和苦味變重。
・萃好後立刻和茶葉分開,避免持續萃取。
■ Frastea 適合做奶茶的茶
・紅茶:口感飽滿、經典麥芽香,是奶茶與純茶菜單的可靠基底。
・貴妃烏龍茶:焙火帶出焦糖與烤堅果香,適合做烏龍奶茶。
・薑紅茶、肉桂紅茶:辛香溫暖,適合秋冬限定的熱奶茶或拿鐵。
■ 配方參考
・珍珠紅茶歐蕾:紅茶+珍珠+鮮奶+奶蓋。
・肉桂薑紅茶那堤:薑紅茶+鮮奶+奶蓋+肉桂粉。
完整步驟見「茶與草本知識」的沖泡類文章。