What Is Brown Sugar Milk Tea
This drink is made from 3 ingredients, tapioca pearls, caramelised brown sugar and milk.
The original boba drink from Taiwan does not contain any tea and is caffeine-free. It is called in Chinese, which translates to Brown Sugar Fresh Milk.
However, as the drink grew in popularity and was commonly referred to as a milk tea overseas, more shops started offering the drink with different leaf blends and topping combinations. This is called in Chinese.
Some people also call this drink a dirty brown sugar milk tea due the messy look from the syrup.
Brew It In A Sauce Pan
This is the key to upgrading the taste of your milk tea. Usually people brew the tea first and add milk straight in the cup. I used to do that as well until one of my Indian friend told me that it’s important to heat the milk and the tea together in the pan first before pouring in the cup, so the flavor can blend together better. One famous Taiwanese foodie who is well known of her knowledge about brewing tea also brew her milk tea in the pot, and it has become the most popular way of making milk tea in Taiwan!
What Kind Of Tea Can I Use
You will want to use a strong flavored black tea. The tea will have to stand up to the added cream to give your bubble tea flavor. The most classic flavor of Bubble Tea is straight black tea, such as an Earl Gray or breakfast tea. You can also use a more unique strongly flavored tea to match your personal tastes. Below are some fun variations to try:
- Jasmine Tea
- Coconut Milk or Coconut Cream
- Almond Milk
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Indian Spiced Milk Tea
Also known as Masala Chai, Indian spiced milk tea can be found on every corner in India but is also making waves in the west too. More commonly called chai tea in the west, Indian milk tea uses chai as the base. Chai tea is a medley of spices blended with black tea leaves. The spices are often black pepper, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and clove. Masala chai is milk heavy and has a little sugar too to counteract and sweeten the spice. As you can expect, thanks to the infusion of tea and spices, this drink packs quite a punch when it comes to healing properties.
Video On How To Make Iced Green Tea Latte With Boba
If you are a mall sort of person then youll have no doubt ordered your drinks from one of the swanky eateries or drinkeries that sell premium versions of everything.
We have recipes for some other typical drinks you find at Thai roadside stalls such as Thai Milk Tea with Boba as well as our favorite Tropical Fruit Punch which you might like to take a look at. Or if you are calorie counting how about the zero calorie Thai Jasmine Cold Brewed Tea?
And if you want to make the boba from scratch to add to your latte as we like it, thats pretty easy too check out our recipe for making Brown Sugar Boba.
- Chewy and fun to drink if you add boba too
- Amazing to drink together with spicy food
Given somewhat fancier names in English , Thai mall outlets take the standard Street Vendor drinks and soup them up into something that is even tastier.
All that comes at a price, so we decided to come up with some drinks recipes that you can easily make at home and taste fantastic.
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Honey Green Milk Tea Recipe
- 3 teaspoons honey
- 4 teaspoons jasmine milk tea powder
- 5 ice cubes
- 2 orange pekoe tea bags
Preparation method:
Rich-tasting jasmine tea leaves are the key to making delicious Jasmine milk tea flavor. If you have a milk frother, foam some milk and add it to the top of the drink for a pretty look!
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What Kind Of Tapioca Pearls Do You Use For Bubble Tea Recipe
I typically use this brand of tapioca pearls, which cooks in about 5 minutes. I like that these pearls cook quickly, but the texture could be better. You can find these tapioca pearls in Asian supermarkets or on.
One important thing to note about these quick-cooking tapioca pearls is that you should only cook as many as you need. The pearls stiffen as they cool, so they do not keep well overnight. However, if you leave the pearls in their cooking water, the pearls retain their soft texture for a longer time. In other words, dont drain the hot water once you are done cooking the pearls. Instead, use a slotted spoon to remove the pearls from the saucepan, and leave any excess pearls in the saucepan.
WHAT KIND OF MILK DO YOU USE? CAN THIS BE DAIRY FREE?
I prefer using whole milk the most because the rich flavor makes the beverage tastier overall. I tried a version of the bubble tea with heavy cream. While the flavor of the tea was even better than the version I made with whole milk, it felt too decadent. Perhaps using half-and-half is a good compromise?
You can also make a dairy-free version with nut milks or soy milk. I tried using canned coconut milk once, and the coconut milk left a funny feeling in my mouth. It felt as if my mouth was coated with a thin layer of coconut fat.
WHAT KIND OF SWEETENER DO YOU USE?
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What Is Classic Bubble Milk Tea
I grew up drinking tea, especially milk tea. As a result, Ive always been picky about my teas. While hot tea was a staple for me as a kid, the adult me prefers iced tea variations, like this bubble milk tea.
This delicious drink originates from Taiwan . The name possibly comes from the bubbles that are created by frothing the milk tea, or from the chewy tapioca pearls that are like bubbles in the tea. This drink is also known as Hong Kong style boba milk tea.
Whatever the origins of the name, the drink is now a favorite everywhere!
So today, Im going to show you how to make bubble milk tea at home.
How Tomake Boba Pearls At Home
- To start, fill a large pot halfway full with water and bring to a boil. If desired, add liquid sweetener of choice to infuse some sweetness into the tapioca balls as they cook. I like to use stevia or monk fruit drops, or you could use simple syrup if preferred.
- Once boiling, add uncooked black tapioca pearls. Lightly stir until they begin to float, then cover and boil for about 3 minutes.
- After boiling, remove from the heat and drain the boba pearls. I prefer to use a slotted spoon to gently remove them from the hot water. Finally, transfer cooked tapioca pearls to a bowl and cover with room temperature water until youre ready to serve.
- To serve, add a few tablespoons of cooked boba pearls into a cup, pour homemade bubble milk tea on top, and serve with a boba straw!
ently remove cooked boba pearls from pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl of cool water until ready to serve.Add cooked boba pearls into a cup for serving, pour in prepared milk tea, and serve with a boba straw.
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Why Matcha Has More Health Benefits Than Brewed Green Tea
With the whole leaf ground into powder, you consume quite a bit more caffeine than brewed tea which gives you a sort of calming buzz.
The amount of caffeine is about the same as a cup of regular coffee whereas brewed tea contains much less caffeine than coffee around 75% less depending on the specific tea and coffee compared and the preparation method.
Matcha also has lots more antioxidants that are produced both by the way it is grown as well as the fact that you are consuming them all rather than just those that a brewing process can extract.
Matcha green tea has been cited to have several important health benefits heres an excellent resource if you want to learn more.
Premium match powder makes such a difference. More intense flavor and aroma from better quality gree tea. Worth it!
How Does Taro Milk Tea Taste
Taro milk tea tastes a bit like a light version of vanilla.
Its hard to put a description to it. The closest thing to describing taro milk tea would be a variation of vanilla and hints of earthiness.
We suggest trying taro milk tea to embrace its unique flavor. Its very delicious if thats ultimately your question.
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How To Store Tapioca Pearls
If you have any dry, unused tapioca pearls, I like to keep them in an airtight container and keep them in my refrigerator to keep them extra fresh. In my fridge, they last a couple months.
For cooked pearls, I would eat those up ASAP because the longer you keep them out, the gummier they become due to the tapioca starch.
How Do I Make Bubble Tea
You can make bubble tea in 5 simple steps!
For a detailed recipe with measurements, refer to our easy boba tea recipe below!
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Three Ways To Make Bubble Tea
Happy June everyone! It’s officially summer which for me means bubble tea season. Who am I kidding? It’s bubble tea season for me all year round. However, my consumption of this stuff probably triples during the summer. Some would say it is a bit of an addiction… but I say it is a way of life. Long story short, I am super excited to share this easy bubble tea recipe with you today!
And for even more excitement, I am sharing three different ways to make bubble tea:
So why make bubble tea at home? For starters, it is super easy. Second, it is healthy! Especially for the fruity milk teas. Just think, real fruit vs. fruit syrup. It’s really a no brainer. Third, it is much cheaper than paying someone to mix a couple ingredients together. And lastly, the comfort of whipping up a batch of this from your own home means you can relax at home and soak in the sun on your balcony without stepping a foot out of your house or into your car.
Brown Sugar Milk Tea Tapioca Pearls Vs Regular Boba Pearls
Tapioca pearls in this drink are tapioca balls that have been infused with brown sugar syrup.
This can either be achieved through making the pearls with brown sugar, boiling the pearls in sugar or slow simmering the pearls in the sweet brown syrup.
Out of the three methods, we found that the pearls made with sugar and later slow-simmered were the most flavorful. However, the method of slow simmering gave us very similar results. It is also easier and quicker than making the boba from scratch.
For this recipe, you can either make your tapioca pearls at home or use ready-made ones. The key to this recipe is the level at which the sugar caramelises and how long the boba pearls are infused for.
If you want to use ready-made boba pearls, we recommend using the brand Wu Fu Yuan. Their black sugar-flavoured tapioca pearls are quick to soften and have a very similar texture to store-bought bubble tea. To learn more about the tips and tricks on how to make the perfect boba balls from scratch see our Easy Tapioca Pearls Recipe.
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Can You Store Cooked Leftover Boba Pearls
You can store leftover cooked homemade boba pearls in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. You will get better results if you keep them in the sugar syrup as it means they will be less likely to stick together. They will harden as they cool and to get that chewy texture back they need to be warm so you can simply reheat them to get that texture back.
Health Benefits Of Green Tea
Thai green tea which is used to make regular iced green tea latte, comes in powder form as a mix and has a distinctive taste.
It has the same health benefits as other green teas, reputedly offering a little protection from heart and cancer problems more information here.
Asian societies have been using green tea in alternative medicine for thousands of years so there is probably some benefits even though these have not been proven yet scientifically.
We really dont know we just like the taste!
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Making Bubble Tea With Powder
Most bubble tea powders are 3 in 1 meaning that they have 3 ingredients already in them. For example, taro bubble tea powder will have the taro flavoring, non-dairy creamer and sugar already mixed together in the bag.
Once you have found quality powder and tapioca , now you need to get your method right. Bubble Tea can be made with many different bases Green Tea, Black Tea, Earl Grey Tea or even hot water. The base will change the taste of the drink and some flavored powders are better with certain bases than others. One of my favorites is Jasmine Green Tea with Taro Bubble Tea powder!
Tapioca Pearls takes the longest to cook so you should start that first:
Once your boba is cooked its now time to brew your tea . Its really important that you use HOT tea or HOT water when mixingyour Bubble Tea Powder. Otherwise it wont dissolve completely and will end up lumpy!
For a single serving, boil 350 ml of water and add 6 grams of Green Tea. Let it brew for 4 minutes.
This will make double strength tea because you will be mixing it with ice later which will dilute it.
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What Is Tiger Milk Tea
Tiger milk tea is another name for brown sugar milk tea. It is one of the most popular bubble tea flavors partly for its creamy, caramel taste and partly for its photo-worthy appearance.
It originates from Taiwan, and although most bubble tea drinks do contain tea, this one doesnt.
The special ingredient for this drink is the brown sugar syrup, which is used to soak the boba and drip down the sides of the glass. Mixed with milk, it creates the look of tiger stripes, which is how this boba tea got its name.
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Can Boba Be Healthy
With any food or drink, the question of whether its healthy is so subjective. Personally, I enjoy drinking boba tea, and I give myself permission to drink it! No, its not hydrating like water, and it isnt a rich source of nutrients like a breakfast smoothie might be. And yes, it tends to be higher in added sugars and starchy carbs . Overall, bubble tea has a place in my life because I enjoy it, though its not something that I typically enjoy every day. Only you can decide whats right for you when it comes to boba!
In my own relationship with food, Ive let go of labeling foods as good or bad because of the stress these labels create. All too often, we come to see ourselves as good or bad based on what we eat, leading to cycles of bingeing and restricting, or over-exercising trying to compensate. Plus, all of that stress about what were eating takes a toll on our bodies and minds. If youre interested in diving deeper into your own relationship with food and eating habits, check out my Food Freedom course!
Make Strong Tea By Using More Tea Leaves/bags
In order to make a cup of rich milk tea, you want to make stronger tea before adding milk, otherwise it will taste very bland and watery. Boiling the tea for too long creates an unpleasant bitter taste, therefore, we make stronger tea by increasing the amount of tea leaves/bags. Also, if you use loose leaf teas, choose the kind with finer leaves so it will release the flavor faster.
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Making Bubble Tea For Kids
Bubble tea is traditionally served with thick straws which allow you to eat the tapioca pearls as you drink.
If youre not a seasoned bubble tea drinker, these thick straws can actually pose a choking hazard as the tapioca pearls can suddenly become lodged in your throat if you sip too quickly. For this reason, I avoid giving these thick straws to children weve had other choking incidents in the past so I am extra careful on this point!
When making bubble tea for my kids, I serve it to them in a small glass with a regular straw for sipping the tea, and a teaspoon for eating the tapioca pearls. They are completely happy with this method, especially since the spoon allows them to eat the tapioca pearls more quickly.