HONG KONG, China
A Toronto tea shop owner is the surprise winner of the coveted designation “Milk Tea King” after besting competitors at the International Milk Tea Competition in Hong Kong.
Harvey Lin, 31, owner of Marathon Donuts & Coffee Shop in Scarborough, Ont. traveled to Hong Kong for the competition which draws a large field of competitors from throughout Asia. Brewers are given 20 minutes to create the perfect milk tea which involves extracting every bit of the tea’s essence, often using “fried” or oily tea which is then diluted with precisely the right amount of condensed milk.
Lin, a native of Taiwan who has operated his business the past five years, advanced as one of six finalists from a group of 350 competitors from Kong, Shenzhen, Melbourne, Shanghai and Guangzhou, according to reports in The Toronto Star.
“People usually associate tea with the western culture, but there’s a Chinese tradition of drinking milk tea that is not as known abroad,” competition judge Chau Kai Leung told the newspaper.
The contest is organized by the Association of Coffee and Tea of Hong Kong. Finalists outside Hong Kong were flown in by sponsors for the weekend competition.
There is no cash prize. The winner is crowned “Milk Tea King,” and goes home with a medal, trophy and a teacup made of gold.
Source: The Toronto Star