Thai Beverages
Thai Coffee
Rich and aromatic Thai coffee drinks from traditional to modern styles
Thai Iced Coffee
กาแฟเย็น
Strong coffee with condensed milk served over ice
Thai Black Coffee
โอเลี้ยง
Oliang (โอเลี้ยง) is Thailand's traditional iced black coffee, a drink with deep cultural roots in the Teochew Chinese community that has shaped much of Thailand's food and drink culture. The name comes from Teochew Chinese: 'O' means black and 'Liang' means cold — literally 'black cold (coffee).' Thai iced coffee traditions trace back to Chinese immigrants who settled in Thailand in the early 20th century, bringing with them the concept of strong-brewed coffee, which was later influenced by French colonial-era condensed milk practices from neighbouring Indochina. What makes oliang distinct from ordinary iced coffee is its blend: traditional Thai coffee grounds (oliang powder) consist not of pure coffee but of roasted Robusta coffee mixed with various grains and seeds — typically corn, soybeans, sesame seeds, and sometimes cardamom. This combination creates a complex, smoky, slightly nutty flavour with deep body and intense caffeine kick. The drink is brewed using a traditional Thai coffee filter called 'tungdtom' — a cotton cloth bag attached to a metal ring and handle — through which boiling water is poured slowly. The resulting concentrate is poured over ice and served black (oliang dum) or with sweetened condensed milk and/or evaporated milk added (oliang nom). In traditional Bangkok-style street coffee shops (raan kafae boran), oliang is still brewed the traditional way and served in a glass, 25–40 baht per glass. It is commonly sold at morning markets throughout Thailand, especially in older shophouse neighbourhoods.
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About Thai Coffee
Thai coffee culture blends traditional roasting methods with modern coffee trends. From the strong and sweet traditional Thai coffee (oliang) to contemporary specialty coffee, Thailand's coffee scene offers something for every coffee lover.