• Gather all the ingredients. My regular-sized teacups hold approximately 1 cup (240 ml) of liquid each, so I used them to measure my water and milk for this recipe.
  
• Add 1 cup water to a milk pot or small saucepan. Cover and bring it to a boil on medium-high heat.
  
• When the water boils, stir in 3 heaping tsp black tea leaves.
  
• Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 1½ to 2 minutes. If you‘re making iced royal milk tea, boil the leaves slightly longer to make stronger tea that the ice will dilute once served.
  
• Add 1 cup milk and slowly bring it to just simmering. Meanwhile, add hot water to your serving teacups to keep them nice and hot; drain the water before you serve the tea. Tip: If you already know how much sugar you‘d like to use, you can add it to the pot now to dissolve it before serving.
  
• When the tea is about to boil, remove it from the heat.
  
• Drain the hot water from the teacups. Pour the tea through a tea strainer or fine-mesh sieve into your heated teacups. Enjoy!
  

To Serve

• Serve with sugar or honey to sweeten it to your liking. Enjoy it with some homemade Matcha Cookies, Black Sesame Cookies, or Strawberry Mochi! You can also use it as a base for Boba Tea.
  

To Store

• I recommend making it fresh, but you can keep the milk tea in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to a day for the best freshness. Microwave or use a saucepan to reheat.