Reviewed by: Takahiro Sugiyama (CEO, meguri Inc.)
Besides the orange Thai tea, there is a Thai drink made with green tea: “ชาเขียวนมเย็น”. In English it is called “Thai green tea” or “Thai green milk tea”. It is green like a matcha latte, but the tea, the colour, the sweetness and the method are different. You can check these differences in the makers’ ingredient lists and official recipes, and use them to plan a matcha version for your café.
What is ชาเขียวนมเย็น (Thai green milk tea)?
ชาเขียวนมเย็น is a drink made by steeping a green tea mix in hot water, adding sweetener and milk, and chilling it with ice. It is the green tea counterpart of the orange Thai tea.
What the name means
In Thai, “ชาเขียว” (cha khiao) means green tea, “นม” (nom) means milk and “เย็น” (yen) means cold. Together they mean “cold green tea milk”. “ชาเขียว” is a word for green tea in general. When people mean matcha, the expression “ชาเขียวมัทฉะ”, which adds “มัทฉะ” (matcha), is also used.
How it relates to Thai tea
Bossen, a US seller of bubble tea ingredients, describes the “Thai Green Milk Tea” from ChaTraMue (a Thai tea brand, Number One in English) as similar to its own Thai tea leaves, but minty green instead of the orange colour of traditional Thai tea, and much more fruity and floral in taste. The type of tea is green tea and the country of origin is Thailand. ChaTraMue’s official page describes its green tea mix “Thai Green Tea” (200g) as grown and harvested in the cool mountainous regions of Thailand, and best served with milk, either hot or iced.
Differences from a matcha latte at a glance
| Point | ชาเขียวนมเย็น (green tea mix) | Matcha latte |
|---|---|---|
| Tea | Green tea mix (some products contain sugar and flavour) | Matcha (powdered tencha) |
| Method | Steep in hot water and strain; use the liquid | Dissolve in water; use the whole powder |
| Colour | Bright green; some products use colouring | The colour of the matcha; powder that is only matcha has no colouring |
| Sweetener and milk | Package recipe uses creamer plus sugar or condensed milk | Official recipes are mainly milk, with little or no sweetener |
| Caffeine | Not stated on the product page | Can be calculated at about 32mg per gram of matcha |
Both are cold green milk drinks, but the form of the tea and the way sweetness is set are different. The sections below look at each point with the figures from the sources.
The tea: green tea mix vs matcha
The biggest difference is whether you strain the tea and use only the liquid, or drink the whole powder. ชาเขียวนมเย็น is made by steeping a green tea mix in hot water and straining it. A matcha latte uses matcha powder dissolved in water as it is.
Ingredients of the green tea mix
On Bossen’s product page, the ingredients of ChaTraMue Thai Green Milk Tea are listed in this order: green tea powder, sugar, flavour (nature identical flavor: a flavouring made synthetically with the same components as a natural one), FD&C Yellow #5, FD&C Blue #1. Sugar and flavour are already in the tea. The type of flavour is not given in this list.
Source: Bossen, “Thai Green Milk Tea, Loose Leaf” https://www.bossenstore.com/products/thai-green-milk-tea-loose-leaf
Matcha is powdered tencha
Under the Green Tea Labelling Standard of the Japan Tea Central Public Interest Incorporated Association, matcha is tencha (tea leaves grown under shade and dried without rolling) ground into powder with a stone mill or similar. For powder that is only matcha, the only ingredient is matcha. How matcha differs from sencha and other green teas is covered in Matcha vs Green Tea, and how to read labels in What Is Pure Matcha?
Differences in the work
A green tea mix takes time to steep and strain, and can be made in larger batches. Matcha only needs to be dissolved in water cup by cup, with no straining. On the other hand, if it is not dissolved well, lumps remain.
Colour
The bright green of ชาเขียวนมเย็น also comes, in some products, from colourings in the ingredients. Powder that is only matcha contains no colouring, so its colour changes with the grade and freshness of the matcha.
Colour of the green tea mix
FD&C Yellow #5 (FD&C Yellow No. 5) and FD&C Blue #1 (FD&C Blue No. 1) in the ingredients above are colour additives permitted for use in food under US federal regulations. Yellow and blue together make green. Products sold in Thailand should be checked on their Thai labels. Other brands of green tea mix may have different ingredients.
Colour of matcha
The green of matcha is the colour of the tea leaf itself. It changes with the grade and storage conditions. How to judge it is covered in How to Judge Matcha Quality
Serving both side by side (our view)
This is our view. When one shop serves both, the green tea mix version may look brighter. Photograph the matcha version itself for the menu, so customers see the colour difference first. This avoids “this is not the colour I expected” when the drink arrives.
Comparing official recipes
The package recipe uses 50 to 100g of sugar or condensed milk per serving. The official matcha recipes use 3g or 1 teaspoon of matcha, with 0 to about 1 tablespoon of sweetener.
Four official recipes compared
| Source | Tea | Water | Milk | Sweetener | Servings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChaTraMue Thai Green Milk Tea (package recipe, on Bossen) | 1 tbsp tea (for 2) | 1000ml boiling water, 3 to 5 minutes | 100g creamer (for 2) | 100 to 200g sugar or condensed milk (for 2) | 2 × 16oz (about 470ml) |
| Carnation (UK condensed milk brand) Iced Matcha Latte | 1 tsp matcha | 100ml boiling water (cooled for about 5 minutes) | 200ml semi-skimmed milk | 1 tbsp (about 15ml) condensed milk | 1 |
| Ippodo Tea Iced Matcha Latte | 3g matcha | 100ml water at 80°C | 100ml cold milk | Not stated | 1 |
| Ito En authentic matcha latte (iced) | 3g matcha | 30ml hot water | 130g milk | 5 to 10g syrup | 1 |
Per serving
| Source | Tea liquid / matcha liquid | Milk | Sweetener |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChaTraMue (package recipe) | Tea liquid from 500ml water | 50g creamer | 50 to 100g sugar or condensed milk |
| Carnation | 100ml matcha liquid | 200ml semi-skimmed milk | 1 tbsp (about 15ml) condensed milk |
| Ippodo Tea | 100ml matcha liquid | 100ml milk | Not stated |
| Ito En | 30ml matcha liquid | 130g milk | 5 to 10g syrup |
A serving of the green tea mix has a lot of tea liquid, with creamer added for the milk. The matcha recipes dissolve matcha thickly in a little water and use milk for the volume.
What the tables show
Per serving, the package recipe uses 50g of creamer and 50 to 100g of sugar or condensed milk. The green tea mix itself also contains sugar. Bossen warns that too much tea or steeping too long can make the drink taste bitter. The official matcha recipes set the amounts of milk and sweetener separately, and use little sweetener or none.
Sweetness: Thailand’s ordering standards and sugar content
In Thailand, the Ministry of Public Health is working with beverage businesses to make drinks less sweet. With recipes that use condensed milk, you can calculate the sugar per cup from the amount used.
หวานน้อยสั่งได้ and หวานปกติ = หวาน 50%
According to a release from the Department of Health (กรมอนามัย) dated 11 February 2026, the Department has promoted “หวานน้อยสั่งได้”, so that customers can order less sweet (หวานน้อย) drinks, since 2020. On 11 February 2026 the Director-General of the Department of Health declared the launch of a new standard, “หวานปกติ = หวาน 50%”, which halves the normal sweetness (หวานปกติ) of freshly made drinks, and the Thai Coffee Association and 9 brands from 7 companies stated their intention to change their sweetness recipes nationwide to match it. In an article dated 1 July 2026, the public relations office of the Ministry of Public Health reported that the ministry’s Permanent Secretary said the ministry is promoting “หวานปกติ = หวาน 50%” together with food and beverage businesses.
Source: Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, Office of Public Relations (1 July 2026) https://pr.moph.go.th/online/index/news/343881
Sugar in condensed milk and evaporated milk
In the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) food composition database, sweetened condensed milk contains 54.4g of sugars per 100g, and evaporated milk (unsweetened condensed milk: concentrated milk) contains 10.04g. Check the label of each product for its own figures.
Working out the sugar per cup
Sugar per cup is “grams of condensed milk used × 0.544”, plus the grams of sugar or syrup. In the package recipe, 50g of condensed milk per serving gives about 27g of sugar from the condensed milk. If you sweeten with sugar, the amount of sugar is the sugar content. The amount of sugar in the green tea mix is not given on the product page. Singapore’s sugar labelling is covered in Matcha Boba and Matcha Milk Tea for Cafés
Setting sweetness levels in your shop (our view)
This is our view. Set each sweetness level in grams of condensed milk or sugar and write it on the recipe card. For example, once you decide the amount for “normal”, make “less” half of that and “none” 0g. If you sweeten the tea liquid in advance, you cannot offer levels, so measure the sweetener for each order. To follow Thailand’s “หวานปกติ = หวาน 50%”, make half of your current normal amount the new “normal”.
A matcha version for cafés (our view)
For the matcha version, dissolve 3g of matcha in a little water, add a measured amount of sweetener and top up with milk. This section is our view. Because you do not make a pre-sweetened tea liquid as with the green tea mix, it is easier to offer sweetness levels.
Basic recipe
| Ingredient | Amount (one cup of about 16oz) |
|---|---|
| Matcha | 3g |
| Water (70 to 80°C) | 30 to 60ml |
| Condensed milk | Measured for each level (e.g. normal, less, none) |
| Milk (can be partly evaporated milk) | About 150ml |
| Ice | Fill the glass |
If it is not strong enough, increase the matcha to 4g. Mixing the condensed milk with the milk first helps stop it sinking to the bottom. The Carnation recipe also mixes condensed milk and milk in the glass before pouring in the matcha.
Method
- Sift the matcha, add half the water and make a paste, then add the rest of the water
- Put the condensed milk and milk in a glass, mix, and add ice
- Pour the matcha over the ice
How to pour for two layers and how to avoid lumps are covered in How to Make an Iced Matcha Latte, and blending with ice in How to Make a Matcha Frappé
Naming the menu
On the menu, separate names such as “ชาเขียวนมเย็น” and “มัทฉะนมเย็น” (cold matcha milk) make it easier for customers to choose. If you use powder that is only matcha, confirm with your supplier’s documents that the only ingredient is matcha. If you use a sweetened “matcha” mix, keep in mind that you cannot offer sweetness levels.
Caffeine and cost per cup
The caffeine and the matcha cost of the matcha version can both be calculated from the grams of matcha used. Bossen’s product page does not give the caffeine content of the green tea mix.
Caffeine
In the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan published by MEXT (Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), matcha contains 3.2g of caffeine per 100g (about 32mg per gram). 3g gives 96mg and 4g gives 128mg. If you need to give a figure for green tea milk made from a green tea mix, ask the maker. Comparisons with other drinks are in Matcha Caffeine
Cost formula
The matcha cost is “grams of matcha used × buying price per kg ÷ 1,000”. Add “grams of condensed milk × price per gram”, “millilitres of milk × price per millilitre”, and the cost of ice, cup, lid and straw. For a cup of the green tea mix version, take “price of one bag ÷ number of cups per bag” and add the cost of creamer and sweetener. Working out both with the same formula shows what price to set for the matcha version. How to buy matcha in Thailand is covered in How Thai Cafés Buy Wholesale Matcha Powder
Sources
- Bossen, “Thai Green Milk Tea, Loose Leaf” https://www.bossenstore.com/products/thai-green-milk-tea-loose-leaf
- ChaTraMue, “Thai Green Tea (7.06 oz / 200g)” https://chatramue.com/collections/tea/products/thai-green-tea-bag-200-g
- Carnation (UK), “Iced Matcha Latte” https://www.carnation.co.uk/recipes/matcha-latte
- Ippodo Tea, “Iced Matcha Latte” https://ippodotea.com/blogs/recipes-to-brew-japanese-tea/iced-matcha-latte
- Ito En, “茶リスタ 小山和裕氏監修！本格抹茶ラテ” (Authentic matcha latte supervised by tea barista Kazuhiro Koyama, in Japanese) https://www.itoen.jp/recipe/45614/
- Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, Office of Public Relations (1 July 2026, in Thai) https://pr.moph.go.th/online/index/news/343881
- Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, “สธ.จับมือ 9 แบรนด์ ร่วมนโยบาย “หวานปกติ = หวาน 50%”” (11 February 2026, in Thai) https://multimedia.anamai.moph.go.th/news/1102692/
- U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, “21 CFR 74.705 FD&C Yellow No. 5” and “21 CFR 74.101 FD&C Blue No. 1” https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-74
- USDA FoodData Central, “Milk, canned, condensed, sweetened” https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/171275/nutrients
- USDA FoodData Central, “Milk, canned, evaporated, with added vitamin D and without added vitamin A” https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/171276/nutrients
- MEXT, “日本食品標準成分表（八訂）増補2023年” (Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan, 8th revised edition, 2023 supplement, in Japanese) https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/syokuhinseibun/mext_00001.html
- Japan Tea Central Public Interest Incorporated Association, “緑茶の表示基準” (Green Tea Labelling Standard, in Japanese) https://www.nihon-cha.or.jp/pdf/hyoujikijyun.pdf
