Hong Kong emigres seek milk tea in craving for taste of home

By KANIS LEUNG
Associated Press

HONG KONG (AP) — As tens of thousands leave Hong Kong for new lives abroad, many are craving a flavor from childhood that’s become a symbol of the city’s culture: the heavy, sweet milk tea served at diner-like restaurants called cha chaan tengs. Emigrants are seeking out the drink in cafes abroad, and going to classes to learn to brew it themselves. Exiled activist Lee Ka-wai said that immersing himself at a Hong Kong-style cafe in London with a cup of milk tea is a luxury. The drink is so beloved that members of Hong Kong’s protest movement have called themselves part of a “Milk Tea Alliance” with activists from Taiwan, Thailand, and Myanmar, who drink similar beverages.