The famous Thailand coffee is usually served cold with ice. Its basic ingredients are strong brewed coffee and milk. Thai coffee recipes can be made more interesting by the use of choice spices, especially since it is best taken after eating spicy Thai food. Learning Thai culture has much to do with experiencing daily nuances such as food flavor in the same manner as trying to gain deeper understanding through learning Thai language.
Basic Thai Iced Coffee Recipe
The basic recipe for Thai iced coffee would just require coffee, cream, and ice cubes. Use two large glasses of strongly-brewed coffee, 1/4 cup cream or evaporated milk and about 5 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk. Strong instant coffee can be substituted for brewed coffee.
Add the condensed milk into a glass of hot coffee and stir well to dissolve. After which, add the cream or evaporated milk. Put ice cubes in a glass and pour the coffee mixture and top with cream. This drink is intended to have a strong coffee taste made sweet and creamy by the milk and cream. Left-over iced coffee can be placed in ice cube trays and used for the next iced coffee drink so as not to dilute the taste that tends to happen when ice melts.
Use Thai Coffee Powder
Freshly brewed coffee is always desirable. In the absence of this however, commercially available Thai coffee powder can be used instead since it is already infused with the unique roasted corn and sesame seed flavor. Boil about 1/4 cup Thai coffee powder in 4 1/2 cups of water then add 3/4 cup sugar and allow to cool. Strain and transfer to a pitcher then chill.
When ready to serve, add ice cubes or crushed ice in a glass and pour in coffee mixture. Add in 3-4 tablespoons of half-and-half condensed milk and cream on top. This is a preferred version for coffee drinkers who rather leave adding the milk just before drinking.
Spiced Up
Thai iced coffee can be spiced up by ground cardamom, almond extract, cinnamon, and dried coriander. Of course, these spices need not be used all together at once. It is really up to the coffee drinker to find the right combination. Fresh milk and sugar can also substitute for sweetened condensed milk.
A good alternative to the usual hot brewing of coffee to extract coffee flavor is the cool-pressed method. This is done by allowing the coffee grounds to soak in cold water overnight to be used the next day. Recommended sweetener for this sugar syrup instead of granulated sugar.
Originally posted on October 29, 2013 @ 7:19 am