Thai Iced Coffee

Thai Iced Coffee
Home Cooking



I love Thai iced coffee from Thai restaurants and could never figure out what made them taste so awesome (or look so orange) so I did a bit of snooping online.

This was one of those moments that just happened coincidentally. I'm tired as anything and have an exam tomorrow i.e. must stay awake and study. Solution? Coffee. But then, it's hot and we have no milk at home. No soy milk, no cow's milk. I did spot a can of coconut-flavored evaporated milk and I do have a tube of condensed milk, SO the solution is Asian iced coffee.


I could've done a shot of espresso + condensed milk for a Vietnamese-style iced coffee but thought I'd go a bit further than that. Thai iced coffee has many variations and plenty of suggested additions, however, the one common denominator is cardamom.

Cardamom has a very distinct flavor and is not for everyone. Having said that, I didn't even know that it was a main component of Thai iced coffee until I read that fact. If you're hesitant, use a teeny little bit and see if it makes a difference.

I kind of went berserk and used a whole stack of pods but this is purely up to you to decide.

Thai Iced Coffee
Serves 1

Ingredients:

• Shot of fresh espresso (I used my coffee machine)
• 2-5 cardamom pods (I used 5ish because I... lost control)
• 2-3 tablespoons of sweetened, condensed milk
• 1/2 cup of evaporated milk (I used coconut-flavored; you can also get away with using normal milk)
• ice-cubes

Procedure:

1. Make your shot of espresso first.2. While it's still hot, add in some crushed cardamom pods to let the flavor infuse into the coffee.3. In a glass, layer the condensed milk...4. Followed by a layer of the evaporated milk.5. Set a strainer over the cup and pour the espresso in.6. Remove the strainer to take out the cardamom pods.7. Top with ice to serve. Mix it up before drinking.


Mmm... really yummy and refreshing. The amount of condensed milk is also flexible but considering I'm one of those people who won't say no to drinking it straight out of the can, I say too much condensed milk is never a bad thing :).

This iced coffee is sweet, dessert-like, fresh and chilled. Great for Summer and it's one way I try to entice myself to do a bit of study.

Hey, whatever helps, right?

Good till it's gone