Traditional Chinese 鴛鴦 Hanyu Pinyin Hokkien POJ oan-iuⁿ | Simplified Chinese 鸳鸯 Jyutping jyun1 joeng1 | |
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Similar Pineapple bun, Mango pomelo sago, Rice noodle roll, Hot pot, Fish slice | ||
Yuenyeung (often transliterated according to the Cantonese Chinese pronunciation Yuenyeung, Yinyeung, or Yinyong), coffee with tea, also commonly known as Kopi Cham in Malaysia ( from the Hokkien cham, "mix") is a popular beverage in Hong Kong. Made of a mixture of three parts of coffee and seven parts of Hong Kong-style milk tea, it can be served hot or cold.
Contents
It was originally served at dai pai dongs (open air food vendors) and cha chaan tengs (café), but is now available in various types of restaurants.
Tea mixed with coffee is also consumed in Ethiopia, where it is known as spreeze.
Etymology
The name Yuenyeung, which refers to mandarin ducks (Yuanyang), is a symbol of conjugal love in Chinese culture, as the birds usually appear in pairs and the male and female look very different. This same connotation of a "pair" of two unlike items is used to name this drink.
Origin
There are disputes if there were independent inventions of coffee-and-tea-mixtures in the Western world, some claiming it to be a Dutch serving. Various individuals have combined coffee with tea, sometimes using the name CoffTea or Tea Espress. The concept was suggested on the Halfbakery in 2000, and singer Peter André claimed to have invented CoffTea in an interview in 2004. In an interview in 2006, Sandra Blund recommended combining Savarin with chamomile tea in a ratio of 2 to 1 or combining organic Bolivian coffee and White Rose tea in equal parts. Blund claimed to have met a Cistercian nun from Tennessee who began combining the drinks in 1936 - about the same time when such beverages were invented in Hong Kong.
Adoption
During the summer of 2010, Starbucks stores in Hong Kong and Macau promoted a frappuccino version of the drink. It was sold as the "Yuen Yeung Frappuccino Blended Cream".
Children Yuenyeung
Since yuenyeung contains caffeine which is not healthy for children, there is a caffeine-free variant called Children Yuenyeung (兒童鴛鴦). It is made of Horlicks and Ovaltine, both of which are common in cha chaan tengs in Hong Kong.