Coffee or Tea? Combine both with the exotic YuangYang!

In the classic question "Coffee or Tea", there is a recipe from far Asia that manages to reconcile the two beverages: get to know YuangYang, the drink made of tea and coffee.

Southeast Asia is known to love tea in all its versions and throughout the whole day. But over the last few decades, Asian countries have developed a distinct coffee culture based on coffee-based beverages extremely rich in milk. In Hong Kong, a beverage that combines the Asian love for tea with special the habits developed around coffee consumption is quite popular: YuangYang!

YuangYang is made up of strong black tea, equally strong filter coffee and generous doses of sugar and milk. Literally translated, the name of this drink means "love birds", symbolizing the perfect match between the two beverages, giving YuangYang its special and distinct character. His popularity in an area like Hong Kong, where most people work intensively, and work schedules are often exhaustive, can be easily justified if we think that YuangYang has multiple caffeine compared to a simple coffee, since it combines caffeine of the coffee filter with the caffeine contained in black tea. YuangYang is a stimulative drink that gives hard-working Hong Kong residents the energy they need to cope with the day.

Traditionally YuangYang is prepared in a jug and is shared in small glasses. Caffeine and milk ratios differ: others claim that traditionally the right proportion is 30% coffee and 70% tea, and many still insist on serving it at a ratio of 50:50. As coffee lovers, we will prefer the second ratio, although it is all a matter of personal taste.

What do you need for an exotic YuangYang?

• 4 ½ cups black tea
• 4 ½ cups strong filter coffee
• 1 cup full fat milk
• 5-8 tablespoons of sugar

How is YuangYang prepared?

• Prepare the tea according to its instructions (you can use tea leaves or ready-made sachets)
• Prepare coffee either in a filter coffee maker or in French press or using the Pour-Over method
• When the coffee and tea are ready, mix them in a jug
• Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves completely.
• Add the milk, and mix

Tips for a sucessful YuangYang:

• The proportions of the recipe "give" about 10 cups of coffee. If you want a different quantity, simply divide the recommended amounts.
• It is better that the tea that used does not have any special flavor, as it will collide with the aroma of coffee. Select plain black tea.
• You can "play" with the proportions, depending on whether we love more coffee or tea. In general, we do not put less than 30% coffee, but not more than 50%.
• It is important to use strong tea and strong coffee - this is YuangYang's philosophy.
• The amount of sugar can vary according to our tasty sensory - but sugar is necessary, like milk, to "unite" the flavors and give the beverage character.
• Pay attention to caffeine: Because of the black tea, a YuangYang cup equals almost 1.5 cups of regular coffee in terms of caffeine content.
• You can use any coffee you want, as long as it has a strong body and is intense flavor. Better to keep the very fragrant blends for another time, in order to enjoy them better -  YuangYang relies on blending flavors and aromas.

So if you're undecided betweem coffee and tea, try an exotic YuangYang! The power and body of coffee will be blended with the finest aromas of tea in a beverage from distant Asia that will give you energy and will take you to the Far East!