traveller to southeast Asia frequently marvel at the promoter - like science with which street vendors prepare a beverage hump as teh tarik ( “ pulled Camellia sinensis ” ) . They might not make those same vendor are intuitive physicists at spirit .
Teh tarik is the national drinkable of Malaysia , a intermixture of black tea and condensed or evaporated Milk River , whipped into a froth by apace swarm ( “ pull ” ) the liquidness back and forth between two cups . Sure , you could technically achieve the same upshot with a handheld mixer , but where ’s the fun in that ? As travelling writer / photographer Carey Joneswrote for Serious Eats :
It ’s all about theater , of course . Though the pouring may mix and activate , a one - foot pour is credibly as effective as a two - foot . But vendors plume themselves on their tea leaf - rend skill , the higher the well . It ’s awfully fun to watch as they whip the tea leaf back and forth in just second , long trails of fluid streaming through the air , flying between vessels .
It ’s also all about the physics — and not just the physics of that foaming top . These street vendors have control a delicate counterpoise between dueling force : gravitational force , which is pulling the tea out of the mug , and a motor upshot grow as the vendor spin around , promote the tea leaf to the bottom of the mug . ( The tea itself has inertia . )
The folks at The Science Channel’sOutrageous Acts of Scienceare eager tell you more about the underlying purgative behind preparing this quintessential Malaysian beverage :
[ h / t : The Kid Should See This ]
[ Photo : Carey Jones , via Serious Eats ]
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