Thai Iced Coffee (Oliang): Recipe and Story

Thai iced coffee is a tall glass of very strong, very sweet coffee poured over crushed ice, often finished with a swirl of condensed or evaporated milk. The classic street version is called oliang: black, sweetened iced coffee brewed through a cloth filter from a dark blend that, traditionally, contains roasted grains and seeds as well as coffee. Add milk and you get kafae yen, the creamy version many visitors fall for.

Here is what oliang actually is, how Thai street vendors make it, and a home recipe that captures the flavor with regular dark-roast coffee.

What is oliang?

The name comes from the Teochew Chinese dialect: it is the Teochew pronunciation of two characters usually translated as “black” and “cold” or “iced.” Teochew speakers make up a large part of Thailand’s Chinese community, and their words appear all over Thai food culture.

The traditional oliang mix is not pure coffee. It is a dark-roasted powder of Robusta coffee blended with roasted grains and seeds such as corn, soybeans, rice and sesame, sometimes with a little cardamom. One long-established Thai brand describes its blend as roughly half coffee, a quarter corn, a fifth soybean and a little sesame. The grains add a toasty, smoky, almost cereal-like depth and stretch the coffee, a common practice in many coffee cultures where beans were expensive.

The cloth sock filter

Street vendors brew oliang in a tung tom, a cloth bag sewn onto a metal ring with a handle. Grounds go into the sock, boiling water is poured through into a pot, and the coffee steeps for around ten minutes until it is very strong. The same sock is used to brew Thai tea, which is why you often see vendors with two of them hanging side by side.

Oliang, kafae yen and friends

Order coffee at a Thai street stall and you may hear several names. Here is a simple guide:

Vendors often serve the milk on the side in a small pitcher, or pour evaporated milk over the top so it slowly swirls into the dark coffee. Many Thais like their coffee sweet, so sugar or syrup is usually added while the coffee is still hot.

Thai iced coffee recipe (home version)

You can buy ready-made oliang powder in Asian grocery stores. If you cannot find it, a dark-roast coffee with a pinch of cardamom gives a convincing, toasty result. Makes 2 tall glasses.

Steps

1. Steep. Put the coffee and cardamom in a heatproof jug or French press. Pour over the boiling water, stir and steep for 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Strain. Strain through a cloth filter, a paper filter or the French press plunger. You want a strong, dark concentrate.
3. Sweeten while hot. Stir in the sugar and condensed milk until dissolved. Taste: it should be sweeter than you think, because ice will dilute it.
4. Cool. Let it cool for 10 minutes, or chill it in the fridge if you have time.
5. Pour over ice. Fill two tall glasses with crushed ice and pour the coffee over.
6. Float the milk. Slowly pour the evaporated milk or half-and-half over the top and let it swirl. Stir before drinking.

Tips

• Use crushed ice. It chills faster and gives the slushy texture of street-stall glasses.
• Brew strong. A weak brew turns watery once the ice melts.
• Toast for depth. For a closer match to oliang, add a teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds or a little roasted corn tea to the grounds before steeping.
• Make a batch. The sweetened concentrate keeps in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

Variations

• Classic oliang: Skip all dairy and serve black and sweet over ice.
• Lighter version: Use 1 tbsp sugar and skip the condensed milk; finish with a splash of milk.
• Dairy-free: Use sweetened condensed coconut milk and coconut or oat milk on top.

Thai vs Vietnamese iced coffee

The two are often confused, and both are sweet, strong and iced. The difference is in the coffee and the brewing.

Which coffee to use

Oliang is built on Robusta, which brings deep bitterness and body that hold up to sugar, milk and ice. Our Robusta from West Java has cacao, Brazil nut and malt notes, a natural fit for the toasty character of Thai iced coffee. If you prefer a Central American dark roast, French Roast gives a bold, smoky-sweet base with bittersweet chocolate and low acidity. Choose the Coarse grind for steeping. Both are roasted 1–5 days before delivery, and you can find more strong coffees in our best sellers.

Thai iced coffee FAQ

What does oliang mean?

It comes from the Teochew Chinese words usually translated as “black” and “cold” or “iced,” describing black iced coffee.

What is in Thai iced coffee?

Strong coffee, traditionally from an oliang blend of Robusta with roasted grains and seeds, sweetened with sugar and often finished with condensed and evaporated milk.

Is Thai iced coffee the same as Vietnamese iced coffee?

No. Thai iced coffee is steeped in a cloth sock and often includes roasted grains and evaporated milk, while Vietnamese iced coffee is dripped through a metal phin and sweetened mainly with condensed milk.

Can I make Thai iced coffee without oliang powder?

Yes. Strong dark-roast coffee with a pinch of cardamom, sugar and condensed milk makes a very good home version.

Does Thai iced coffee have a lot of caffeine?

It is brewed strong, but traditional oliang powder contains grains as well as coffee, so caffeine varies by blend. A home version made with pure Robusta will be on the stronger side.

Sources

1. Oliang, Wikipedia.
2. Thai Iced Coffee Recipe (Oliang), Temple of Thai.

Facts checked in October 2026.

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