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Maybe it’s happened to you too sometimes, that you can’t make up your mind which drink to choose: better to have tea, or coffee?
If you love both of them and you want a strong caffeine intake, we have good news: there is already a drink that exists which perfectly and deliciously combines these two drinks in one.
The drink is called Yuanyang and it comes straight from… Hong Kong!
So let’s continue our journey to discover coffees from around the world and learn something more about this mix and how to prepare it, whilst also taking a look at how coffee consumption is developing in China.
Yuanyang, the tea and coffee flavored drink which is a hit in Hong Kong
The Yuanyang is a highly popular drink in Hong Kong which brings together tea and coffee.
An apparently bizarre combination, which creates a sweet and creamy drink that is really taking off in this country and can be found both at street stalls and in restaurants.
What is particularly interesting is the meaning behind the name.
The term yuanyang, actually refers to the Mandarin Duck, a symbol of conjugal love: so a way of emphasizing the surprisingly good outcome of the seemingly strange union of tea – coffee.
We should add that this drink is also known as Yuenyeung or Yinyong and some people even refer to it in English simply as coffee with tea.
The tea used in the Yuanyang is the typical milk tea of Hong Kong, a blend generally prepared with tea and evaporated milk or condensed milk (the former has no added sugars, the latter, yes).
The Yuanyang, which can be enjoyed either hot or cold, is also a really easy drink to prepare. Are you eager to find out how to prepare it for yourselves at home? Here’s the recipe…
Yuanyang: the recipe
The Yuanyang is a particularly delicious and energy-packed drink, ideal for consumption around mid-afternoon, for example, to add that delicious touch to your day.
Here are the ingredients and all the steps you need to prepare it:
Ingredients for 2 people
Method
- For the tea, bring the water to the boil and leave the teabag in to infuse for 5 minutes.
- Simmer the milk for 5 minutes with the sugar.
- When the tea has had time to infuse, remove the teabag from the water and add the coffee powder; wait for around 2 minutes so that the coffee can release its flavor to the full.
- At this point you simply need to filter the blend of tea and coffee and add the warm milk to it: your delicious Yuanyang is ready to be served and enjoyed!
The coffee phenomenon in China
After having seen what it is and how to prepare the Yuanyang, let’s take a closer look at the growth in coffee popularity in this part of the world.
In Hong Kong, as in the whole of China, coffee consumption is on the increase: although tea is still the favorite drink of most Chinese, coffee consumption in China is currently growing by 16% every year, without taking into account the fact that the coffee plantations have practically doubled in the last 7 years.
The spread of coffee, thanks also to the appearance of the international chains, is due mostly to the millennials and businessmen, and represents a real status symbol.
Have you had a chance to try the Yuanyang drink yet during a visit to Hong Kong?
Tell us about it in the comments!