Which tea-based drink is pulled between cups in Malaysia and Singapore? Teh tarik is the answer.
Teh tarik is a strong black tea mixed with condensed milk and repeatedly poured between vessels from a height. This “pulling” aerates and cools the drink, blends the milk evenly, and creates its characteristic frothy surface. The Malay name literally means “pulled tea.”
The drink developed in the Malay Peninsula through Indian Muslim immigrant food-stall culture, especially around British Malaya’s plantations and towns. It became closely associated with mamak stalls and kopitiams, and both Malaysia and Singapore regard it as part of their local food heritage.
Teh tarik is not simply any milk tea poured into a cup. The repeated high pouring is its defining technique. Iced milk tea, or teh ais, may share ingredients but is a different preparation unless it is specifically given the tarik treatment. It is commonly served with roti canai or roti prata.