by Nigel Ong
People love drinking both coffee and tea around the world, with some regions drinking more of one than the other. However, in a few places, instead of trying to choose between coffee and tea, they simply drink both… in the same cup.
Places such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia have perfected the recipe, mixing coffee, tea, and milk to form a sweet, satisfying drink. Called Yuen Yeung, this drink is the default drink for many in these countries.
In this post, we will talk about Yuen Yeung, its origins, and how it is made. I will also sample a cup or two of the drink and then discuss pairing the drinks with food. Finally, I also share how you can try Yuen Yeung, regardless of location.
What Is A Yuen Yeung?
Yuen Yeung is a style of drink that originates from Hong Kong. It combines coffee and milk tea to form a fusion of coffee and milk. A similar formula of Yuen Yeung is also enjoyed in Malaysia and Singapore under a different name called ‘Kopi Cham.’
The word Yuen Yeung actually refers to a pair of Mandarin Ducks. Mandarin Ducks have a very colorful male and a drab-looking female, unlike other duck species.
This means they look very different yet are capable of being together. This also points to how tea and coffee are so different, yet they can be mixed together and make a beautiful drink.
Yuen Yeung’s origins may be slightly obscure, but it was believed to have been concocted in the 1950s. Lam Fong Yuen, a coffee shop in Hong Kong, claimed to have created Yuen Yeung, but not everyone recognized this claim.
Many point to Yuen Yeung as a perfect reflection of Hong Kong, where Eastern Chinese culture meets Western culture. It remains a popular drink in Hong Kong and is spread worldwide by Hong Kong restaurants.
Yuen Yeung can be enjoyed hot or cold, depending on your preference. You can also adjust the ratio of coffee to tea, milk, and sweetness.
How Are Yuen Yeung Made?
Yuen Yeung may look like a simple drink, but the preparation takes time and requires specific tools. You can break down the process into three major steps: making the coffee and tea and blending the two together.
Making The Coffee
As a start the coffee shop operator will start by brewing the coffee. This is usually done using coffee grounds, ground down roughly to the size of percolators.
The grounds are poured into a coffee sock and placed into a jug. Hot water is then added to the jug through the sock. The jug is usually heated up, with the coffee sock inside for better extraction of flavors.
The brewer will then come back and pull out another jug. The coffee sock is removed and then held slightly above the new jug.
The brewer then pours the coffee from the old jug into the new jug, keeping the pouring high and long to oxidize and cool down the coffee. The coffee, again, interacts with the coffee grounds, maximizing extraction.
The process is usually repeated three times. Once brewed, the coffee is kept warm on a stove.
Making The Tea
The process of making the tea is similar to brewing the coffee. Hong Kongers usually make their Yuen Yeung using Indian black tea.
Again, the brewer uses two jugs and a coffee sock to brew the tea. Once brewed, the tea is also kept warm on a stove.
Blending Coffee and Tea Together
Once a brewer gets the order to make a cup of Yuen Yeung, he starts by pulling out a cup and saucer. The cup and saucer are usually kept warm and immersed in warm water.
He then adds milk to the cup. Different types of milk may be used depending on the brewer’s recipe. Traditional recipes use evaporated milk, while some use fresh milk.
The brewer then takes the warm coffee and tea and pours them in together. Again, depending on the brewer, they may use different ratios of coffee and tea. 1:1 is common, although you can always request more tea or coffee.
How Does Yuen Yeung Taste?
I visited my local Hong Kong coffee shop and ordered a cup of Yuen Yeung to sample.
Presentation
A cup of hot Yuen Yeung is usually served in a cup with a saucer. Depending on the coffee shop, you may get a regular-size or wide-mouthed cup similar to your latte cup. Mine here is a regular cup.
The idea is that wide cups have larger openings, meaning the drink cools down faster. Hong Kongers live a fast life, which means they can drink down their Yuen Yeung faster with a wide-mouthed cup.
Color-wise, the drink usually is not frothy. Your Yuen Yeung may show different colors depending on your brewer’s style. If the shop uses more milk, the drink becomes lighter in color.
My cup here has more coffee and less milk since I like my Yuen Yeung strong. As a result, it looks darker.
Aroma
Yuen Yeung does not have a strong aroma. Like White Coffee, you need to bring your nose close to the drink to smell something. This also explains why Hong Kong-style coffee shops do not smell like your regular Starbucks or Dunkin.
In my cup, I could pick up the smell of nutty coffee. This could point to the brewer using Robusta coffee beans, a practice common in many Hong Kong-style coffee shops.
I also could smell some maltiness and slightly floral notes on the drink. I believe the brewer here uses fragrant, high-quality tea to make the Yuen Yeung.
Taste
On the first sip, my palate picked up sweetness and creaminess from the milk and sugar used to make my Yuen Yeung. My cup uses evaporated milk, which means the milk also has a stronger taste.
Only then did I start to taste some coffee and tea. The coffee is nutty and has a slight cocoa-like taste. Accompanying the taste is a slightly floral tea with some mild acidity.
Overall, you get a combination of strong coffee and tea, mellowed by milk and sweetened by sugar. It is probably one of the most satisfying drinks to enjoy, especially in the afternoons.
With the iced version of Yuen Yeung, the ice tends to mute the coffee and tea flavors more. You usually end up with a sweet, milky drink, with the tea and coffee playing second fiddle. It is a very refreshing drink as well, especially during hot afternoons.
Food Pairings With Yuen Yeung
Yuen Yeung could be enjoyed on its own. However, in many situations, people tend to have a drink with some light snacks.
Common ones include egg tarts or some buns. You could also enjoy Yuen Yeung with dim sum, providing you with savory tastes. People may also drink their Yuen Yeung while eating heavier food, such as fried noodles.
As you can see, I could not resist the temptation to snack with my Yuen Yeung. On my visit, I ordered a couple of dim sum dishes and a pork bun as I enjoyed my Yuen Yeung.
Where Can You Go To Get Yuen Yeung?
If you have read this post, you may be keen to try a cup of Yuen Yeung yourself. However, if you are not based in Hong Kong, there are ways you can sample the drink.
You can start with the easiest way: searching for Hong Kong-style restaurants near you. If you are based in big cities, chances are you may be able to find one. These shops should be able to serve you a cup of Yuen Yeung at an affordable price.
If you cannot find a Hong Kong-style restaurant, try getting pre-made Yuen Yeungs from Amazon.
Popular coffee shops such as Lam Fong Yuen (that claims to have invented Yuen Yeung) make freeze-dried versions of the drink. Just add hot water into the premixed powder, and you can enjoy the drink.
You can also go all out and make your own. This may require some investment upfront since you need to get the jugs, socks, evaporated milk, and more. However, once you have them, you can make your Yuen Yeungs similar to the above steps.
You Can Also Get it at the Kung Fu Tea Chain in the USA
If you’re in the United States and there’s a Kung Fu Tea store near you, you can buy coffee milk tea there! I tried one and it was quite good.
I would have expected the coffee to overpower the tea taste, but what I experienced was mostly a tea taste with some coffee in the background. It was nice and milky. Although you might think coffee and tea mixed together would be gross, it’s not! It was an interesting and good flavor. I drank mine with no sugar at all and liked it. I probably prefer a plain iced latte with just coffee, but I would drink one of these now and then to change things up.