Jaggery Tea Curdles: The Science Behind It & How to Prevent It

• Jaggery tea curdles due to malic and other organic acids in jaggery reacting with milk's casein protein when heated.
• Sugar tea does not curdle because sugar is refined and lacks the acids found in jaggery.
• To prevent curdling, add jaggery (preferably grated or powdered) only after turning off the gas, and avoid over-boiling.
• Other factors causing tea to curdle include incorrect ginger use, excessive basil, old/damp spices, or milk with reduced pH due to bacterial lactic acid production.
• Milk tea is popular in 40-50 countries, with unique variations like Bubble Tea (Taiwan), Hong Kong Style Milk Tea, Thai Milk Tea, Teh Tarik (Malaysia/Singapore), and salty Suutei Tsai (Mongolia).