Teh talua

Teh talua, also known as teh telur or egg tea, is a tea drink from West Sumatra, Indonesia. What sets it apart is the egg yolk, from chicken or duck, whisked with sugar or condensed milk before the hot tea goes in.

History

The sources available do not document when or by whom this drink was created, so its exact origin remains undated. What they do place clearly is its link to West Sumatra, where it belongs to the region's traditional drinks.

The classic method starts by beating the yolk with two spoonfuls of sugar or condensed milk in a glass until a thick batter forms. Hot tea is then poured in slowly, stirring to blend the two. If an eggy smell lingers, calamondin juice can be added to taste, a citrus fruit common in local cooking.

From this base, many variations have emerged, including milk teas and the silky egg-cream yuanyang tea, which share the same ingredients and technique.

Culture

Teh talua is an everyday drink, found in the cafés and stalls of West Sumatra. Its mix of tea, yolk and citrus reflects the use of simple, locally available ingredients. The sources consulted do not describe festivals or rituals linked to it, so no ceremonial role can be claimed. Today it survives mainly in local settings, though its variations have travelled into wider tea-with-egg traditions.