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Thai Iced Coffee: Oliang

Thailand has its own distinctive iced coffee, which Thais call Oliang or Oleang, known for the bold flavors characteristic of Thai cooking. Oliang tastes sweet and is brewed with a range of ingredients such as condensed milk, unsweetened condensed milk, soy milk, corn, sesame seeds, or whatever else suits your taste. Traditional Thai coffee is made with concentrated or diluted milk, while we use coconut cream instead of dairy for the creamer. A hint of cardamom and almond extract lifts the creamer component to another level. Then espresso is brewed over the creamer and ice to complete this delicious drink.

Chiang Mai: Thailand's Coffee Paradise

Located in northern Thailand, Chiang Mai has recently become one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Besides the historically rich Buddhist temples and scenic landscapes travelers love, there are also products that express the local leisurely lifestyle - coffee. As Thailand's second-largest city has steadily expanded its coffee industry in recent years, working to develop everything from production and roasting to trade and retail, the relationship between coffee and Chiang Mai has deepened, turning it into a point of local cultural pride.

Arabica Coffee Production

The main coffee bean grown in Thailand is Arabica. Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, is one of the few cities with a relatively cool climate, where at least one or two months a year are free from scorching heat, so both hot coffee and iced coffee have their own market support locally.

Royal Project and Coffee Industry Development

The successful development of Thailand's coffee bean market is credited to the Thai Royal Project launched by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1969, which included the "Northern Thailand Mountain Agricultural Development Plan." It encouraged local people to invest in sustainable industries, aiming to replace poppies with high-value crops and reduce the "slash and burn" farming tied to opium production, thereby easing poverty, fighting drugs, and building an environmental economy. As a forest crop, coffee production and exports have fluctuated since 1970. According to statistics from the International Coffee Organization (ICO) for 2015-16, Thailand exported 500,000 bags of coffee that year, while domestic consumption alone reached 1.2 million bags. Under such strong demand, Chiang Mai is inevitably affected to some extent.

Modern Coffee Culture in Chiang Mai

Nowadays, strolling along Nimman Avenue in Chiang Mai, you no longer encounter locals selling coffee as easily as before. Instead you find glass-walled coffee shops offering free wifi, or mobile coffee trucks parked by the roadside. The city has many exquisite specialty shops where coffee lovers can enjoy themselves.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Thai iced coffee lives or dies by a strong, sweet, milk-friendly base, and FrontStreet Coffee's espresso blends are built exactly for that. The FrontStreet Classic Blend follows the traditional Mamba recipe of Mandheling and Brazil, then adds a small amount of Robusta and a deep roast so it pours butter, nut, spice, and dark chocolate notes with a thick golden crema that stands up beautifully to condensed milk and ice. If you want a more affordable everyday option, the FrontStreet Black Cocoa Blend is 100% Arabica with a rich, full body and a gentle price, making it ideal for home iced coffee. The FrontStreet Premium Blend combines Brazil Cerrado with Colombia Huila for the familiar, balanced espresso taste that also works in a moka pot or home machine.