Thai Bhang Tea

Lets take a history stroll going back to the Vedic origin story of the "churning of the sea"...

Here some of the gods living on earth when Indra, king of the gods and all of the three worlds, was a dick to rishi Duravas. In return Duravas cursed the gods and they began to weaken in strength letting the demons gain equal power as gods...

Seeking a cure, the weakening Gods with the help of Brahma go to Vishnu on the edge of the Ocean of Milk. Vishnu answers...

“Do now as I command: cast into the Milky Sea potent herbs, then take Mount Mandara for churning-stick, the serpent Vasuki for rope, and churn the Ocean for the dew of life [amrita]”

Proposing to make amrita, a sacred substance that bestows immortality and vigor, but the workload exceeded the weakened strength of the Gods, so they partner with the daityas (demons) promising equal share in the amrita...


1760s illustration of The Churning of the Milky Ocean - Depicted are the devas (gods, upholders of cosmic order; light) and the asuras (demons, disrupters of cosmic order; darkness) churning the Cosmic Ocean in a “tug-of-war” in order to obtain Amrita, the nectar of immortality.


As the Gods and Demons churn the Ocean of Milk, things start to appear out of the mixture... First to rise out was Surabhi, the wish-giving cow.

This went on until Poison rose out. Wanting to save the world Shiva grabbed the poison and drank it...

Choking Shiva turns blue...

At the dimmest of times for Shiva, choking on poison, Dhanwantari appears holding the vessel of amrita saving Shiva...

The appearance of the amrita had the demons wanting their cut, but Vishnu denies their request for the fair share starting a 12 day battle(or the 12 year war) between the gods and the demons...

Wanting to protect the Amrita the gods hide it in the mountains spilling a drop upon the ground. From this single drop upon the earth, a cannabis plant grows...

Later after a family argument, Shiva retreats to the himalayas laying in a field under a cannabis plant for shade... Awakening under the plant and taken by the beauty of the leaves Shiva crushes and eats it, making the first Bhang...

Taken by this, Shiva brings Bhang down from the mountain for all of mankind to use...


Shiva making Bhang

With these kind of origins its no wonder the Vedas thought Cannabis was one of the 5 sacred plants on earth and said to have guardian angels in its leaves...

Referred to as the "source of happiness", being a "joy-giver" and a "liberator" that was given to mankind to help "attain delight and lose fear", Cannabis holds high reverence even with the gods...

Part 1: the medicated base

Crock pot Coconut Dulce de Leche

Some notes before we start. For the Thai Bhang Tea base, I like this runnier then say for dessert topping. For this I only cook for 8-9 hrs, a thicker sauce I cook for 9-10 hrs.


Recipe

4 8oz mason jars (6 works well too)

2 cans (14 ounces each) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste (I sub 1 teaspoon- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract)

1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon coconut oil (I recommend 1 teaspoon each)


Instructions

1. add 1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon coconut oil per mason jar

2. Pour equal portions of sweetened condensed milk into each mason jar

3. add vanilla to each mason jar

4. Stir all mason jars and seal tight with lids

5. place jars in crock pot with water added 1" above rims

6. set crock pot on low and cook for 8-10 hours (the longer you cook it the darker and thicker it becomes when cool)

Cool and enjoy...


Ingredients



add 1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon coconut oil per mason jar



Pour equal portions of sweetened condensed milk into each mason jar & add vanilla to each mason jar



Stir all mason jars and seal tight with lids


place jars in crock pot with water added 1" above rims, set crock pot on low and cook for 8-10 hours

Cool and enjoy...

Part 2:

With the history of Bhang out of the way and our medicated base of dulce de leche made we are ready to start. I'll start by saying the accepted old school version of ground fresh buds and trim mixed with yogurt and milk adding spices tastes well, thickly green...

I have made this updated version using a modified thai tea recipe. Sure its not original Bhang drank at Holi, but it tastes way better and is close enough in structure to call... Thai Bhang Tea...

Coconut oil can be tricky to add to a drink especially a cold one as it likes to harden and separate. To smoothlessly accomplish this task we are making Dulce de leche first to incorporate the coconut oil into the sweetened condensed milk.

I recommend making the dulce de leche a bit runny at 8 hours cook to mix right in the tea. I use 1 teaspoon per drink.


Thai Bhang Tea


Ingredients

1 tablespoon black tea (1 or 2 tea bags)
1 cup of hot boiling water
2 teaspoons medicated Dulce De Leche (sweetened condensed milk for unmedicated version)
2 teaspoons evaporated milk (plus some more to sprinkle on top)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup of crushed ice

Instructions

1. Steep the tea for a few minutes until it turns nice and dark in color.

2. Taking a new cup, pour in 1 glass of hot tea

3. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of dulce de leche, and give it a nice stir

4. Then add 2 teaspoons of evaporated milk, and continue to stir the tea until everything is fully mixed in

5. Optional - A good Thai iced tea should have a little froth or some bubbles on top, so take 2 pitchers, and pour the tea from one to the other, with a bit of elevation. You could do this in a different way too, but it’s pretty fun!

6. Take a cup and fill it all the way to the top with crushed ice, Tip (place spoon in cup before you pour hot tea in to take the heat away from the ice.)

7.Gentry pour your hot tea mixture over the cup of ice

8.To give your Thai iced tea a final creamy touch, drizzle on some more evaporated milk onto the top of your cup

Ingredients


1. Steep the tea for a few minutes until it turns nice and dark in color


2. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of dulce de leche


3. give it a nice stir


4. Then add 2 teaspoons of evaporated milk, and continue to stir the tea until everything is fully mixed in

Thai Bhang Tea continued...

5. Take a cup and fill it all the way to the top with crushed ice, Tip (place spoon in cup before you pour hot tea in to take the heat away from the ice.)
&
6.Gentry pour your hot tea mixture over the cup of ice


7. To give your Thai iced tea a final creamy touch, drizzle on some more evaporated milk onto the top of your cup


8. Enjoy your amazing Thai Bhang Tea



Authentic Thai iced tea recipe (cha yen ชาเย็น) - street food style
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltE9ufnrA-g

Stay thirsty my friends...