How To Make Bubble Milk Tea

What Is Milk Bubble Tea Made Of

No matter what you call it, the drink is made up of black tea, milk, ice, and chewy tapioca pearls. It is shaken like a martini, and it is served with that famously fat straw to accommodate the marbles of tapioca that cluster at the bottom of the cup. Whatever you call it, the drink is made up of black tea, milk, ice, and chewy tapioca pearls.

What Is Taro Milk Tea

Taro milk tea is a type of Taiwanese bubble milk tea flavored with taro root. Taro root is a purple tuber similar to a potato and can be used either as a powder or paste. The resulting drink is called in Chinese. It is sweet and delicately flavored , with a beautiful purple color.

For this taro milk tea recipe, Im combining taro powder with delicate jasmine tea, milk, and chewy tapioca balls in a sticky, sweet brown sugar syrup. The combination is wonderfully dessert-like yet also cool and refreshing.

All you need is 5 ingredients and as little as 20 minutes to prepare this taro boba milk tea. Even better, there are several ways to adapt and add to the recipe, too. I.e., swap out the milk for cream, ensure its dairy-free, reduce the amount of sugar, add extra flavors, etc.

Can I Prepare Boba In Advance

Once you make bubble milk tea or another drink with boba pearls, its best to serve it immediately.

This is because cooked tapioca pearls continue to absorb liquid. This causes them to expand more and take on a gummy texture. Additionally, you may have trouble getting them through a straw if this drink sits for quite a while!

For the best flavor and texture, I recommend using boba immediately after making it. However, if you prepare extra tapioca pearls, you can store them in simple syrup in the fridge for up to 2 days.

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Keeping Boba Soft And Chewy

Boba are at their chewiest best if used within a few hours of cooking. However, the longer cooking method I outline below helps the boba stay soft and moist for several days if kept refrigerated in simple syrup. They will gradually start to harden and become crunchy in the middle. For a quick-fix bubble tea when you know youll eat them right away, just boil the boba until they are soft, 5 to 10 minutes.

Can You Prepare Beforehand

You can prepare most ingredients in advance to make the perfect boba to save time on the day.

In fact, you can make boba pearls up to 6 weeks in advance. Store them in a clean, dry airtight container at room temperature for best results. If refrigerated, their texture can become harder . If using store-bought boba, keep them in their original packaging.

After cooking, keep the boba in cold water or the cooking syrup to preserve the texture until adding them to the bubble tea. You can store tapioca pearls this way for about 24 hours. Any longer, your boba pearls might become soggy, so try to avoid this.

However, once you remove these from cold water, they can instantly start sticking to each other and become tougher in texture. In general, try not to cook the boba until you need them.

You can easily prepare simple syrup days in advance and refrigerate it. It is a practice that bartenders will often make syrup in bulk. Cold-brewed drinks can be stored in the fridge for up to 36 hours.

On the other hand, normally brewed beverages might become bitter if stored in the fridge for more than half a day. If put directly in the cold without cooling it down, this process could become even faster.

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When You Drink Boba Every Day This Is What Happens

Theres a reason boba or bubble tea is so popular. Even though the drink originated in Taiwan, it has recently become popular all over the United States with shops dedicated to the making of the tea popping up all over. Thrillist notes that the boom of boba tea is partly due to its popularity amongst students and the availability of the milky caffeinated beverage near college campuses.

Boba can be used to refer to both the black tapioca pearls as well as the drink as a whole . However, the drink itself goes by different names it can be called boba tea, bubble tea, or pearl milk tea depending on where you are in the world. Whatever you choose to call the tea, boba is usually made with black tea, milk, ice, and tapioca pearls.

Part of boba teas popularity is because you can pretty much go all out to customize it. In addition to adding syrups and toppings, the chewy tapioca pearls come in a variety of flavors. Theyre also quite addictive. According to Eater, tapioca pearls start out as hard and tasteless little balls. They are then boiled and steeped into a caramelized sugar syrup until they turn black, bouncy, and delicious.

It may be a well-known fact that boba can be irresistible, but what happens when you drink it every day?

Best Bubble Tea Recipes

Skip the boba shop and make your own treat with these fun bubble tea recipes! I promise its way easier than you think.

Unless youve been living under a rock, youll know just how popular bubble tea has become these past few years.

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The popular Asian refreshment is making a huge splash here in the United States and Canada and for good reason.

Unlike overly sweet milkshakes and coffee-blended beverages, bubble tea has just the right amount of sweetness and flavor.

So, if youre looking for a dessert thatll also quench your thirst, bubble tea is the answer.

And if you want to be a boba connoisseur, this list of bubble tea recipes is just what you need.

Well cover a wide array of bubble tea flavors for you today, so theres tons to choose from.

They range from the traditional milk+tea combo to fruit-infused and so much more.

Thirsty yet? Me too! So, lets get to it!

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Option : Classic Bubble Tea

The classic version of bubble tea consists of tapioca pearls, black tea, milk and a sweetener. Use any blend of black tea of your choice and feel free to increase the quantity if you prefer a stronger taste.

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How Do You Make Brown Sugar Boba Syrup

You can make a homemade brown sugar syrup for boba with only 2 ingredients, in about 5 minutes! Simply bring ½ cup water and 1 cup brown sugar to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir regularly! Once the syrup has thickened slightly, transfer to a jar to let it cool and thicken a bit more before using it. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a few weeks.

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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!

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Taro Milk Tea In 2 Ways Make From Fresh Paste Or Powder

Last Updated: · Author: Victoria ·

Learn how to make taro milk tea from either instant powder or from the ground root. Enjoy it hot or cold. Customise it the way you like with the variations below. Well also show you how to make full use of the root vegetable with a few alternative drinks to make too.

Taro milk tea is one of the most ordered drinks after a classic bubble tea. Its mellow sweetness and creamy taste are what attracts most people to order it. The addition of pureed root plant thickens the drink and adds a great texture.

Not to mention the extremely photogenic light purple colour that it comes in! Before we begin, lets get the difference right between taro bubble tea, fresh taro milk tea, smoothie, and milkshakes.

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Steep The Jasmine Tea

If you want to enjoy this as iced tea, you may want to steep the tea before any of the above steps. That way, it has time to cool.

Bring water to 176ºF/80ºC on the stovetop or using a temperature-controlled kettle. Dont boil the water, or else the tea is likely to become bitter.

Then, steep the tea leaves in the hot water for 5 minutes. Then remove the tea leaves.

This will be easier if you use a tea infuser or create your own tea parcel wrapped in cheesecloth.

Add the taro powder and mix well. Then set it aside to cool.

Nutrition: Are Tapioca Pearls Bad For You

Overall, boba tapioca pearls are delicious and fun to eat, though theyre not a rich source of nutrients. In cup boba pearls, there are around 100 calories, 25g of carbs, 2g of fiber, and thats pretty much it. And, for those who are gluten conscious, boba pearls are gluten free! Again, I tend to steer clear of calling any foods good or bad. I enjoy eating tapioca pearls, and I also recognize that theyre mainly a source of starchy carbohydrates.

Where toFind Bubble Milk Tea Pearls

I bought my black tapioca pearls online, and they conveniently came with a set of classic boba straws! This is a great set of boba tea cups, which you can purchase separately for serving if desired. You can use any cups and straws that you like, just know that those tapioca pearls will be far too thick to sip through a standard-size straw.

Add boba tapioca pearls into boiling water. Lightly stir until pearls begin to float, then cover and boil for 3 minutes.,

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What Is Tapioca And What Are Tapioca Pearls

• Tapioca is a gluten-free starch extracted from the cassava root . It is used as a thickening agent and is very common in vegan cooking and baking. Available in flour, pearls, and flakes, tapioca is found in most Asian supermarkets and online specialized retailers.
• You can make tapioca pearls from scratch by making a dough with tapioca flour, water, and sugar and then cooking them on the stove, but it’s easier and faster to buy the premade pearls. They are also used as a thickening agent and for added texture in puddings and beverages. When cooked without any flavoring, they’re very bland. Fruit and sugar are added when cooking the pearls to lift up their natural blandness. These dehydrated marble-sized “bubbles” will soften when boiled and should be used within a few hours of cooking since they will harden and stick together if kept out for too long.

How Do You Make Creamed Milk Tea

To make tea, just bring a third of a cup of water and two tablespoons of tea leaves to a boil. After adding a half cup of milk, reduce the heat to a simmer and avoid bringing the mixture back to a boil. After it has had some time to cool down, pour it into your cups along with some water, sugar, or honey. Straightforward and delicious!

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Is Bubble Tea Healthy

You can make your bubble tea as healthy or indulgent as youd like, just like coffee! Adding sweeteners or fruit juices will increase the amount of sugar consumed. The tapioca pearls are made from cassava, which contains no fat or cholesterol, though theyre high in calories and carbs. For a healthy tea beverage, check out Thai tea.

How To Make Boba Milk Tea

See how easy this classic bubble tea is to make and customize.

• 1tablespoonblack tea
• ¼cupmilkor half & half

Tapioca Balls

MAKE TEA

• Steep tea in hot water for 5 minutes.Set the water temperature to 195°F if you’re using an electric kettle with a temperature setting. Use filtered water when possible.
• Strain tea leaves. Stir in brown sugar. Set aside to cool.

COOK TAPIOCA BALLS

• Boil ¾ cup of water and sugar in a saucepan. Add tapioca balls.Combine brown sugar and ¾ cup of water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. When you see big bubbles , add tapioca balls. Keep boiling for 8 more minutes on medium-high heat. Cool slightly, until tapioca balls aren’t too hot to eat. They should still be quite warm.

ASSEMBLE DRINK

• Add warm tapioca balls in brown sugar syrup into a cup. Add ice, tea, and milk.Serve immediately and stir before drinking. Use an extra wide straw to drink.

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What Is Bubble Milk Tea Made From

Boba, at its core, is made from only a few simple ingredients. The varieties of bubba tea are endless, and often dont even include tea!

The bubbles are mostly tapioca but sometimes made with different jellies for unique flavors and textures. You can use all sorts of different teas, fruit juices, coffee, and creams.

In addition, there are several toppings besides tapioca pearls that can be added to your bubble milk tea.

Pick The Right Kind Of Tapioca

Maggie Zhu, the blogger behind Omnivores Cookbook, emphasizes that its important to look for regular tapioca pearls. Though quick-cooking and instant pearls will work in a pinch, they arent as chewy as regular tapioca pearls and are easily overcooked. Epi contributor Clarissa Wei, author of the forthcoming book Made in Taiwan, agrees with Zhu. I think the quality of the pearls really matters, Wei tells me. If youre a novice boba drinker you probably cant tell the difference, but for a lot of Asian Americans who have been drinking this for many years, its like night and day. Great boba should be soft but still have a bouncy, chewy, QQ resistance.

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Bubbletea Recipe Ideas How To Make Bubble Tea At Home

Below, you can explore the 5 homemade bubble tea recipe ideas that I came up with for your inspiration. Theyre all made with simple, nutritious ingredients and no added sugars or sweetenersunless you want to add some! Follow them as strictly or loosely as youd like, adjusting ingredients to suit your tastes. Or, just use them as a framework and swap out the ingredients entirely to create new flavors!

What Is Bubble Milk Tea

Bubble milk tea is a concoction between milk, black tea, ice, and chewy tapioca pearls. It refers to an ice-cold tea that is sweetened with milk. The milk is often full of different flavors from tea, fruits, or syrups to make it even more delicious and refreshing.

But the sweet milk and tea combo isnt anything too out of the ordinary. What sets bubble milk tea apart is the delicious boba pearls. These tapioca pearls are a delightfully chewy and sweet treat.

While there is no single confirmed story about how bubble milk tea came to be, the origin stories share some similarities stemming from Taiwan in the 1980s. It has become a big staple of Taiwanese cuisine and is served at various celebrations.

In the 90s, bubble tea started to become popular in China and Japan, and from there, it springboarded into the global market. Now, decades later, you can find boba shops all over Europe, North America, and across the globe.

Youll find many bubble tea shops in every major city that form a competitive market. This delicious tea from southeast Asia is everywhere!

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Benefits Of Making Bubble Tea At Home

Even though bubble tea vendors are almost everywhere, there are still various reasons as to why you should make bubble tea at home.

First, making your own bubble tea gives you the assurance that you are making yourself a delicious and healthy drink. For all we know, most store-bought bubble tea may contain ingredients that are not good for our health.

These include unhealthy chemical sweeteners, hydrogenated palm oil, and PCBs or polychlorinated biphenyls that may affect the immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, and other health issues.

And of course, when you make your own bubble tea, its a guarantee that it will cost you less than buying them from bubble tea shops.

You can also make your tapioca pearl drinks more resourceful, control the calorie content depending on your current diet, and add ingredients of your choice.

You can even make everything from scratch instead of buying boba kits for your homemade bubble tea.