What is Yuan Yang?
Every country has her list of iconic food or beverages that represent her culture. Hong Kong, for one, is not short of those.
Yuan Yang is famously known to be a classic flavourful beverage from Hong Kong. Although no one seemed to have the answer as to who created this iconic beverage.
You can easily find this interesting cream coloured drink along the streets of Hong Kong, with each of them offering their own formula.
No, you don’t have to fly over to Hong Kong just to sip a Yuan Yang. Singapore is just as huge a food paradise. And ordering a Yuan Yang at your local coffee shop is indeed possible.
What exactly is yuan yang?
Why is it called Yuan Yang?
Yuan Yang, or Yuen Yeung, in Cantonese means mandarin ducks.
It is easy to differentiate the male from the female mandarin ducks. The males have elaborate plumage, often seen with beautiful orange feathers near its face and body. The female mandarin ducks, however, have their feathers in more muted shades of grey.
What is sweet about a couple of mandarin ducks is that they are often seen together.
Because of this, the term ‘Yuan Yang’ can also be used to describe an unlikely couple. And apt enough, to have a drink named after it.
Reason being, the Yuan Yang drink is a marriage of coffee and tea. Two very distinctive beverages. Yet when combined together, they become a whole new divine tasting profile.
It’s a display of opposites attract.
What does Yuan Yang taste like?
Yuan Yang is a harmonious, caffeine-loaded mixture of coffee and tea together. This drink is often sweetened with condensed milk (or some would prefer fresh milk and sugar).
Finding the right balance may not be as easy as one might think.
Sometimes there is too much coffee. Other times, too much tea. Or even sometimes, way too sweet.
Individually, coffee and tea have a variety of flavours on their own. So trying to converge a balanced, married flavour would be a form of art.
A good Yuan Yang should be all of it - intense yet smooth. Silky, smooth and creamy after feel that makes this drink so heavenly.
In the past, blue-collar workers in Hong Kong would have Yuan Yang as their much needed, revitalising caffeine to keep going for the day. Whether served hot or iced, Yuan Yang still served excellent taste.
With cafes experimenting with different Arabica coffee beans and/or tea blends, now there are many possibilities as to how a Yuan Yang can turn out to be.
It has become a joyful beverage for everyone to appreciate.
How do we make Yuan Yang with THEE Nespresso® compatible pods?
The best part about pods is that they are perfect ratios made conveniently for you (and especially when you are pressed for time).
We keep it really, really simple: 1 tea pod and 1 coffee pod. Then add in your desired amount of condensed milk.
For Thee’s Yuan Yang, we use Arabica beans from Brazil to bring in the strong, hazelnutty flavours. This is then complemented with one of our original tea blends: Black tea with pomegranate flower and honey.
These unique tasting notes blended so perfectly together, one would want to brew a second one almost immediately.
Our version of Yuan Yang is something that is both light yet bold. A creamy, mildly sweet Yuan Yang with subtle hints of floral notes.
Coffee & Tea together is PERFECT.
There are some days when you cannot decide whether you should go for coffee or tea. So why not get the best of both worlds and order a Yuan Yang?
Yuan Yang can be paired with just about anything. You can go for the classic pair of Yuan Yang and egg tarts. Or you can pair it with biscotti or with something savoury.
It’s becoming a drink that is served for all levels of society. In short, if you have not tried a good Yuan Yang, maybe it’s time to get brewing!