Thinking Aloud

Asian youth find common cause in 'milk tea alliance'

Sense of camaraderie among young people in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand in their virtual war against powerful governments

ST ILLUSTRATION: CEL GULAPA
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The milk tea - or nai cha - of Hong Kong is a strong tannic brew.

It is concocted from broken Ceylon tea leaves and dust, and creamy evaporated milk. Sugar is optional and one can choose to have it iced, with an additional payment of HK$3 (50 Singapore cents) - a holdover from British colonial days when ice blocks had to be hauled up Hong Kong's hilly terrain from the ice depot near the harbour.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on October 18, 2020, with the headline Asian youth find common cause in 'milk tea alliance'. Subscribe