A typical mamak teh tarik contains somewhere around 4 to 8 teaspoons of sugar, most of it from sweetened condensed milk. There is no standard recipe, so the exact sugar in teh tarik varies from stall to stall and pour to pour. But even at the lower end, one glass can use up most of the World Health Organization's ideal daily limit for free sugars, which is about 6 teaspoons.

How much sugar is in teh tarik, really?

Let's do the maths ourselves, because no one publishes an official figure for a drink that is made by hand thousands of times a day.

The key ingredient is sweetened condensed milk (or a cheaper sweetened creamer that works the same way). Nutrition labels on common brands in Malaysia show roughly 55 g of sugar per 100 g. A tablespoon weighs about 20 g, so each spoonful brings roughly 11 g of sugar. Four grams of sugar is about one teaspoon.

• Light hand, 1.5 tablespoons: about 16 g sugar, around 4 teaspoons
• Typical, 2 tablespoons: about 22 g sugar, around 5–6 teaspoons
• Generous, 3 tablespoons or extra sugar added: 30 g or more, around 8 teaspoons

An iced version in a large cup, or a "teh tarik special" with extra condensed milk, can go higher still. These are estimates, but they are grounded in the label on the tin, and they make the scale clear.

How does teh tarik compare with other favourite drinks?

The table below uses the same approach: typical preparation, rough ranges and teaspoons of sugar (4 g each). Your stall may be sweeter or lighter.

Evaporated milk, used in teh-C, is not sweetened. It contains only the natural milk sugar, lactose, which does not count towards WHO's "free sugars" limit. That makes teh-C kurang manis or teh-C kosong one of the easiest swaps on the menu.

Why does sugar in drinks matter more than sugar in food?

Three reasons.

It does not fill you up. Studies consistently find people do not compensate well for calories they drink by eating less later. A 200-calorie drink tends to sit on top of your meals rather than replacing part of them.

It arrives fast. Liquid sugar is absorbed quickly, which can mean a sharper rise in blood sugar and, for some people, an energy dip afterwards. If the afternoon teh tarik is part of your 3pm routine, our look at why your energy crashes after lunch is worth a read.

It adds up invisibly. A teh tarik at breakfast, a Milo ais at lunch and a bubble tea in the afternoon could total 20 teaspoons of sugar, more than three times WHO's ideal limit, without a single dessert.

This is not just an individual issue. The National Health and Morbidity Survey 2023 found that around one in six Malaysian adults has diabetes, and more than half are overweight or obese. Sugary drinks are one of the most studied contributors to weight gain and type 2 diabetes risk, which is why Malaysia introduced an excise duty on high-sugar beverages in 2019 and increased it in 2024.

Is sweetened creamer any better than condensed milk?

Not really. Many stalls use sweetened creamer (often sold as "krimer manis pekat") because it is cheaper and keeps well. It looks and tastes similar, but the milk fat is largely replaced with vegetable oil, usually palm oil. The sugar content is broadly comparable to condensed milk, and you get less of the protein and calcium that real milk provides. Either way, the sugar is what drives the numbers in the table above.

The same goes for "3-in-1" instant sachets at the office pantry. Check the label: many contain a sizeable share of their weight as sugar, so a couple of sachets a day can quietly rival a mamak teh tarik. Look for "less sugar" or "2-in-1" versions and add your own milk.

How do you order less sugar at a mamak or kopitiam?

You do not need to give up the drink. You need the vocabulary.

• Kurang manis — less sweet. The simplest request, understood everywhere.
• Siu dai — less sweet in kopitiam Cantonese/Hokkien shorthand. (Ka dai means extra sweet, so avoid that one.)
• Teh-C / kopi-C — made with evaporated milk instead of condensed milk, with sugar added separately, so it is easier to control.
• Kosong — no sugar. Teh-O kosong and kopi-O kosong are the zero-sugar classics.
• Ping / ais — iced. Fine, but ice in a bigger cup sometimes comes with more condensed milk, so combine it with "kurang manis".

A step-down plan that actually sticks

Going cold turkey from teh tarik to plain water rarely lasts. Taste preferences for sweetness do adjust over a few weeks when you reduce gradually, so try this:

1. Week 1–2: Keep your usual drinks, but order every one "kurang manis".
2. Week 3–4: Swap one daily drink to teh-C kurang manis or kopi-C kurang manis.
3. Week 5–6: Make one drink a day kosong, or replace it with water or unsweetened tea.
4. After that: Keep a full-sweet teh tarik as a treat, not a default. It will probably taste sweeter than you remember.

Pair this with a water bottle at your desk. A lot of afternoon drink orders are really thirst, especially in hot weather, a point we made in our guide to hydration in a humid climate. For more ordering swaps beyond drinks, see our gut-friendly guide to mamak, hawker and kopitiam meals.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have diabetes or prediabetes, are pregnant or are managing another health condition, talk to your doctor or a dietitian about the right approach to sugar for you.

Frequently asked questions

How many teaspoons of sugar are in a teh tarik?

A typical teh tarik made with around two tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk contains roughly 5–6 teaspoons of sugar. Depending on how it is made, the range is about 4–8 teaspoons, and larger or extra-sweet versions can contain more. There is no standard recipe, so these are estimates.

What is the daily sugar limit recommended by WHO?

WHO recommends that free sugars make up less than 10% of daily energy intake, and ideally less than 5%. For an adult eating about 2,000 kcal a day, that is under 50 g (12 teaspoons), ideally under 25 g (6 teaspoons). Free sugars include added sugars, syrups, honey and fruit juice, but not the natural sugars in whole fruit or plain milk.

Is teh-C healthier than teh tarik?

Teh-C is made with unsweetened evaporated milk, with sugar added separately, so it is easier to make less sweet. Teh-C kurang manis or teh-C kosong usually contains much less added sugar than a standard teh tarik. The difference comes down to how much sugar goes in.

Does "kurang manis" really make a difference?

Usually, yes, though how much less sugar you get depends on the stall. Even cutting from two tablespoons of condensed milk to one saves around 10 g of sugar per drink. Over a year of daily drinks, that adds up to several kilograms of sugar.

Are artificially sweetened drinks a better option?

They reduce sugar and calories in the short term, but WHO advised in 2023 against relying on non-sugar sweeteners for weight control, citing a lack of long-term benefit. Gradually reducing sweetness overall, and choosing water or unsweetened tea and coffee more often, is the more sustainable approach.

Sources

1. World Health Organization — Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children (2015)
2. World Health Organization — Healthy diet (fact sheet)
3. NHS — Sugar: the facts
4. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health — The Nutrition Source: Added sugar
5. World Health Organization — WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control (2023)
6. Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia — National Health and Morbidity Survey