Dont Overcook Your Tapioca
Zhu prepares tapioca pearls by boiling them for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until they start to become semi-transparent. She then takes the pot off the heat and allows the pearls to steam, covered, for another 20 minutes. When raw, the pearls have a firm texture and a coating of tapioca starch, but fully cooked pearls should be soft, chewy, and translucent. The key is to not overcook it, she advises. Let the residual heat slowly steam them.
Can You Make Bubble Tea Ahead Of Time
You can make bubble tea about a day in advance, but any longer and your tea may start to get too strong, and tapioca pearls can get soggy and lose their chew. Be sure to store the tapioca pearls in the fridge submerged in simple syrup if making ahead, and discard tea leaves once your tea has brewed so it doesnt oversteep.
When making simple syrup ahead, store this in a sealed jar for over a week and it should stay fresh.
How To Make Fruit Bubble Tea At Home
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of fresh or frozen fruit
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Ready-to-mix tapioca balls
- 2 bags of loose leaf black tea
Take note that many foodies choose to enjoy this fruit/tapioca mix without the tea. That is also possible. But technically, that takes away the tea from boba. In that sense, that may not be true bubble tea.
As we speak, many foodies are experimenting with their fave boba mix, . But that speaks volumes on how ever-so-wonderful bubble tea really is.
Suki Au
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Where You Can Find Boba Tapioca Pearls
You can find boba at almost any Asian grocery store or online. These , just like the smaller pearls we use for tapioca pudding. They come in a range of colors, but all boba have a fairly neutral flavor. Once cooked, its best to mix them with some sugar syrup this gives them some sweetness and also helps preserve any pearls youre not using right away.
History Of Earl Grey Tea
This tea is commonly known as Earl Grey Tea but its original name is actually Bergamot Tea. Bergamot tea is typically made from black tea leaves and the fruit of the Citrus bergamia tree. The tea leaves are either sprayed with bergamot extract or essential oil, or mixed with dried bergamot rinds, giving the tea a mild citrus-like taste.
Since it received its nickname from the British prime minister Earl Grey, bergamot tea is often considered English. However, its native to Southeast Asia and widely cultivated in Southern Italy today.
You can find bergamot tea in most grocery stores with or without caffeine, additional ingredients, and other flavorings.
The plant compounds in bergamot may provide a variety of health benefits, but most studies have focused on bergamot essential oil, juice, or supplements instead of tea.
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How To Store Peach Milk Tea
Like I mentioned above, I recommend cooking your tapioca pearls just before serving. However, you can make both the tea concentrate and the peach syrup in advance and store them in the fridge this way your tea will be extra cold when you drink it Both the tea concentrate and homemade peach syrup can be stored in the refrigerator, in a sealed jar or container, for up to 7 days.
What Is Bubble Tea
Bubble tea, also known as boba tea, is a Taiwanese tea drink flavored with milk or fruit with marble-sized tapioca balls at the bottom. It can be made with all sorts of teafrom plain black, jasmine or oolong tea to fruity herbal tea like strawberry, melon or mango. Its most known for its iconic bubbles that are soft, chewy and a little sweet. People enjoy other unexpected add-ins like grass jelly or cheese foam .
Bubble tea has all the health benefits of drinking tea, too.
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Where To Buy Pearls And What Kind
I buy my tapioca pearls online. Theyre sold dry and uncooked in bags. Its super easy to cook them. Just boil the dry pearls in water until they are soft. There should be instructions on the package. It is possible to make them from scratch, but in my opinion, this is one that I prefer to buy versus make.
The most commonly used tapioca pearls are black. The idea is that the black makes them more visible in the drink. However, there are more and more options becoming available. Here are a few options that Ive tried:
What Are The Bubbles
The bubbles in bubble tea are tapioca pearls. Tapioca pearls are dark little balls of starch that can be made to vary in color and in texture depending on the type of flavoring and starch used to make them. Typically most tapioca pearls are made from tapioca starch taken from the cassava root.
Tapioca pearls by themselves are not always the most flavorful, which is why they are served in something sweet . You can also sweeten them even more by soaking them in a simple syrup before serving.
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What Kind Of Tea Do You Use To Make Bubble Tea
The most popular favors are black tea and green tea. The tea extract is watered down while making boba tea as milk and ice cubes are added to the concoction. Therefore, you will need a strong tea extract so you can actually taste it even if it is diluted during the bubble tea-making process. You can easily make some delicious tea from Tea Drops. Theres chai, Thai matcha, and other unique flavors available on the online store.
You could also use a mixture of Assam and Ceylon tea leaves for a unique flavor, but we are sure you will find that Tea Drops tea tastes best. By browsing the range, you can look for teas suited to treating certain conditions, such as tea for nausea or tea for headaches.
We recommend checking out the tutorial on how to use tea drops if you wish to find out more about such an offering.
What To Do With Oolong Tea
Cover your oolong tea while it steeps to keep all the heat in the steeping vessel. Tea producers spend a lot of time mastering the art of oolong tea. To best appreciate the handcrafted flavors of an oolong tea, try sipping it plain with no additives like milk or sugar. For better taste you need to use quality kitchen tools.
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How To Make Bubble Tea
Quick Links:What kind of tapioca pearls to useMake ahead tips
Bubble tea is one of my favorite things to sip on during the summer. Originating from Taiwan, bubble tea usually consists of sweetened tea with milk and the characteristic chewy tapioca balls, also known as boba . Bubble tea comes in many flavors: plain tea flavors such as black or jasmine tea fruit flavors such as strawberry or honeydew and even taro, which is a root vegetable commonly used in Asian dishes. .
While I enjoy drinking bubble tea, I dont particularly like the ones sold in the teahouse chains because they contain too much sugar. The good thing is that you can make bubble tea at home easily! In this bubble tea recipe, all you really need is tea, tapioca pearls, milk, and a sweetener.
What Are Boba Tapioca Pearls
The term boba generally translates to bubbles or big pearls, referring to the chewy black tapioca pearls at the bottom of every cup. Boba pearls are made from the starch of the cassava root, also known as tapioca starch. Its rich in carbohydrates, yet stripped of most other nutrients like fiber and minerals. Granted, boba pearls contain minimal-to-no added sugars, just loads of starchy carbs. Thats why bubble tea pearls are very chewy but sort of flavorless.
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How To Make Tapioca Pearls
Make Your Simple Syrup With Brown Sugar
Once the tapioca is cooked, Zhu drains the pearls and places them in a syrup bath made with dark brown sugar, which infuses the boba with a rich molasses-like flavor. The swirls of caramel-like syrup create dramatic, Instagram-worthy stripes in boba beverages and ice cream bars, like those sold by Tiger Sugar, a chain renowned for its brown sugar bubble tea. Andrew Chau and Bin Chen, who founded the popular bubble-tea chain Boba Guys, recommend soaking the tapioca for at least 30 minutes and experimenting with different sugars. If youre feeling ambitious, Chau, Chen, and their co-author Richard Parks III write in The Boba Book, we recommend making syrups out of black sugar, rock sugar, or even Japanese kuromitsu to add another layer of flavor. The syrup can be kept in the fridge for up to a month, so its worth making a big batch.
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Bubble Tea Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bubble Tea Healthy?
Bubble tea even this recipe with limited amounts of added sugar and no added food coloring isnt really healthy. Tapioca pearls offer no nutritional benefits and are filled with sugar. Its best to enjoy this delicious drink in moderation.
What are the bubbles in bubble tea?
The bubbles in bubble tea are the tapioca pearls, aka boba, which are made from tapioca starch.
Where can I buy boba ?
I purchased these quick-cook tapioca pearls on , but you can also find them in most Asian supermarkets.
Is bubble tea gluten-free?
This bubble tea recipe is gluten-free. Take care when ordering from a bubble tea shop as many of the flavors or additives may contain gluten.
What You Need To Make Peach Bubble Tea
This Bubble Tea is made from only 6 simple ingredients: black or green tea, sweetener, peaches, vanilla extract, tapioca pearls, and milk. I chose to make this recipe with maple syrup so its naturally sweetened, but you can also use cane sugar or brown sugar see the recipe notes for more info. I also like to add a little ground ginger to the peach syrup to add a subtle spice, but thats technically optional!
You can find all of these ingredients at your favorite grocery store with the exception of the tapioca pearls, or boba. I purchased mine online, but you can also probably find them at an asian grocery store or market near you.
Finally, you will also need a few other kitchen tools:
- Fine-mesh metal sieve: I prefer to strain my peach syrup through a sieve instead of using a blender this makes a silkier syrup with less fiber. You could blend the syrup as well see the recipe notes for that variation
- Dont forget the straw! Bubble tea is traditionally served with a wide straw that accommodates the size of the tapioca pearls. I bought a set of these Reusable Metal Bubble Tea Straws and use them all the time, even when Im not drinking boba!
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Cook The Tapioca Pearls
In a medium sized pot over medium-high heat, bring water to a rolling boil and add tapioca pearls. Stir pearls and let them cook for about 10 minutes. Pearls will float to top when they are done cooking.
Remove from heat, cover pot, and let pearls sit in hot water for an additional 10 15 minutes, or until desired level of chewiness is reached.
Drain and rinse pearls under cold water and transfer to a bowl.
Whats The Difference Between Boba And Bubble Tea
Generally, this type of tea is known as Bubble Tea and the tapioca pearls in the tea are known as boba. But some folks find it easier to just refer to it as Boba Tea. There really is no difference between the two except for what each person likes to call them. The tea is known by both names far and wide so you can pick which you like best and go with that!
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Where Does Boba Tea Come From
This is a drink that originated in Taiwan in the 1980s and spread throughout Southeast Asia before finding its way to the U.S. Most of us think of bubble tea as being synonymous with boba tapioca pearls, but bubble tea was originally just a cold milk tea that was shaken until frothy. Sometimes boba were added, but basil seeds or cubes of jelly were also used.
Use Instant Tapioca Pearls
Made of tapioca starch and sugar, the bouncy, chewy, slippery balls are the soul of bubble tea. As the popularity of this drink grows, it has become quite easy to source tapioca pearls nowadays. You can find them in most Chinese/ Asian stores, as well as online shopping platforms, such as Amazon.
Tapioca pearls come in different sizes and colours. What I use for this recipe are large, black ones that have a hint of brown sugar flavour .
The great thing about these ones is that theyre instant: the cooking time required is just a few minutes! The traditional type, on the other hand, needs about 1 hour to cook. So I suggest you look for the package that says instant , Ready in 5 mins, etc.
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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?
Basic Homemade Bubble Tea Recipe
Each homemade boba tea recipe that I designed follows the same basic formula. This isnt any kind of traditional or authentic boba ingredients list, but a simple framework that you can use to come up with your own bubble tea recipe flavors at home!
Keep in mind, each of my recipes yields 2 servings. That means you distribute the cup of cooked boba pearls into 2 cups, followed by the blended milk tea mixture. For a single-serving boba drink, use the amounts below to come up with your own homemade boba flavors.
Basic Single-Serving Bubble Milk Tea Recipe
- ~1 cup milk tea base
- sweetener to taste, if desired
- 2-3 Tbsp cooked boba pearls
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Whats The Difference Between Milk Tea And Bubble Milk Tea
Different areas of the world have different forms of milk tea. In its most basic form, milk tea is just tea with milk. Its frequently black tea, but it can be any type of tea with any kind of milk. And it can be served hot or iced.
Bubble milk tea is iced tea served sweetened with milk or cream and boba pearls.
Option : Matcha Bubble Tea
A type of ground green tea originated from Japan, matcha offers a slightly sweet, earthy and refreshing flavour. Loving all things matcha, I wouldnt miss the opportunity to make a glass of matcha bubble tea.
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How To Sweeten The Tea
As I mentioned earlier, you have control over the sweetness of your homemade bubble tea. Thats why I dont include a precise quantity of the sweetener in the recipe card below. Here are my suggestions on what to use:
- Obviously, the brown sugar bubble tea is sweetened by the brown sugar syrup that stains the glass.
- For the classic version, you may use any type of sweetener. If using sugar or honey, make sure you add it when the tea is still hot.
- For the matcha version, I recommend you use syrup as it dissolves easily in cold liquid whereas sugar and honey dont.