Unfortunately, not all boba shops prepare bubble tea from scratch. A fair amount of boba shops use commercial powdered flavorings to prepare your drink. While it might taste good, nothing beats the authentic blend of freshly-steeped tea on your drink.
In this article, we will show you how to make bubble tea in an authentic way—from scratch!
Bubble Tea
Bubble tea is a drink that originated in Taiwan and consists of sweetened tea with milk and tapioca balls, which are called boba (波霸). Many different flavors of bubble tea are available, including plain tea flavors such as black or jasmine, as well as fruit flavors such as strawberry, watermelon, or honeydew; and even ude or taro, root vegetables typically used in Asian dishes.
Tea, tapioca pearls, milk, and sugar are the only ingredients you need in this recipe.
Ingredients Walkthrough
You should choose teas with a strong flavor, such as black or jasmine. You want a strong-tasting tea that will hold its flavor after being diluted with milk and ice cubes. Alternatively, you can mix equal parts of Assam and Ceylon tea leaves.
It is quicker to buy tapioca pearls instead of making them yourself. However, one thing to remember is that you should cook only as much as you need of these quick-cooking tapioca pearls. Pearls stiffen as they cool, so they can’t be stored overnight. Pearls retain their soft texture for a longer period of time if they are left in their cooking water. Once you have finished cooking the pearls, do not drain the hot water. The pearls should be removed using a slotted spoon, and any excess pearls should be left in the saucepan.
Whole milk is preferred by many people because of its rich flavor and overall taste. Alternatively, you can order bubble tea that has been infused with heavy cream, which makes it feel more decadent. If you want a bit of a compromise, half-and-half would be fine. Nut milk or soy milk are also suitable dairy-free substitutes.
Ingredients
- 8 bags of tea or 3 tbsp loose-leaf tea
- 4 cups of hot water
- 3/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca pearls
- Milk of your choice
- Simple syrup or any sweetener of your choice
- Put 4 cups of freshly boiled water in the tea bags or leaves and let it steep. Allow the tea to cool completely in the water.
- Put the tapioca pearls in four cups of boiling water. Continue mixing the pearls until they float to the top. Continue cooking them for another five minutes. See whether a pearl has reached the desired softness level. If still stiff, cook them a little longer. Take the pearls out of the hot water using a slotted spoon. Immediately rinse them with water. Add a few tablespoons of simple syrup to the pearls, then mix them together.
- Let the tea cool, then strain into a pitcher. Distribute the cooked tapioca pearls among four large glasses. Fill each glass with ice cubes. Fill each glass with 1 cup of tea. For each glass, mix 1 1/2 tablespoons of milk with 1 1/2 tablespoons of simple syrup. Combine and taste. You may add milk or more syrup as needed.
Conclusion
Bubble tea is an easy-to-prepare, delicious, and refreshing drink that is very customizable. You can take bubble tea training from Pearl Lemon boba.
