Why Make It At Home
You might be wondering why you should make bubble tea at home. After all, there are dozens of vendors in Southeast Asia, and many chains in North America and Europe. Why would you need to make it at home? Well, there are many good reasons to do so!
For one, store-bought bubble tea may contain many harmful ingredients, such as hydrogenated palm oil and dangerous chemical sweeteners. Even traces of chemicals like polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, have been found in some store-bought boba tea.
Another reason is saving money! Making boba pearls and the drink as a whole at home is much cheaper than buying them from shops.
In addition, homemade tapioca pearl drinks can be more versatile in flavour and type than those bought from shops.
However, we think that the most convincing reason is that you can control the calorie count that is in your cup of boba drink. When you are your own bobarista of your bubble tea drink, then you can fine-tune the ingredients and their amounts to best fit your taste buds, but also your current diet plans!
We at Honest Food Talks think that homemade is better than store-bought, which is why we have written this ultimate guide!
Diy Tapioca Pearls How
Start by heating up the water and sugar in a medium-sized pot, and heat to medium. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Then turn off the heat.
Add about one tablespoon of the tapioca flour and stir until well combined. Make sure there are no lumps. Then turn the heat on again and stir the mixture until it starts thickening.
Once it becomes thicker, remove from the heat. Add the rest of the tapioca flour and mix well until you obtain a sticky dough.
On a lightly floured surface , knead the dough until it becomes uniform, soft and elastic. Tapioca dough can be very sticky, so add some extra flour, if needed.
This can also be done with a stand mixer, but since its a small amount and only takes a few minutes, its not necessary.
While rolling the dough, if its more convenient to work with half of it at a time, make sure to cover the other half, so it doesnt dry out.
Roll the dough into thin long rod-like pieces. Each roll needs to be quite thin, as the tapioca pearls will expand when cooked later on.
Cut the rolls into small pieces. Then roll each piece into a tiny ball. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Now, you have your dried tapioca pearls ready.
Note* If you want to speed up this process, you can skip rolling them into balls altogether. The cube like shapes youll have may not be as pretty, but theyll taste the same .
Put The Tea In A Pot Or Kettle
If you are using loose leaf tea, put 1-2 tablespoons of tea into a pot or kettle with about 1 cup of water. If you are using a bagged tea, use one bag of tea and fill it with water so that it brews in your pot or kettle. Heat up the pot on medium high heat. You want to make sure that the water doesnt boil over. You can add more water if it starts to boil over.
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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.
Ingredients And Preparing The Pearls
Dont be confused. Bubble tea has been dubbed a lot of names. The top of the list is boba tea, in reference to those little tapioca edible balls at the bottom of the drink. Aso, its called pearl milk tea with the pearl referencing those same balls. Moreover, the Taiwanese call it traditionally QQ tea, alluding to the unforgettable chewiness of those balls. Other names used for boba:
- Black pearl tea
- Pearl ice tea
- Pearl shake
And yes, the product itself originated in Taiwan in the 80s. It was accidentally formulated by combining a tapioca-laden dessert with black Assam tea. At its core, tapioca and tea are the most basic ingredients of bubble tea. Though milk has become a widely accepted ingredient in the drink, you can still have bubble tea without milk. The most widely used milk for bubble teas are:
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Coconut milk
- Non-dairy creamer and milk
Technically, you can use just about any tea type: white tea, green tea, black tea, or oolong to whip a boba. Though, over the years black tea has become the most common tea used. Also, theres bubble tea served hot though its not as popular as those served with ice.
Never forget that bubble tea comes in many forms. As the most customizable beverage in the world, you can have ingredients that suit your tastes. Sometimes, tea connoisseurs even experiment with sago instead of tapioca balls. Thus, the most common options for your pearls include:
- Jelly cubes
- Taro balls
- Popping boba
- Tapioca pearls
- Sago balls
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Option : Brown Sugar Bubble Tea
Brown sugar bubble tea is increasingly popular in recent years thanks to its unique marble look and nice caramel taste.
To create the marble stains on the glass, youll need to cook a rich brown sugar syrup.
For this version, I choose to use hot milk, instead of hot water, to brew the black tea. It tastes richer thus pairs well with the brown sugar syrup. That said, please feel free to use the normal tea with a little milk.
Homemade Bubble Tea Recipe / Boba Tea Recipe 5 Ways
How to Make Boba Tea at Home with Black Pearl Tapioca Balls
Now you can make your favorite summertime drink in your own kitchen with these healthy boba tea recipes! Learn how to make bubble tea at home, including how to cook black pearl tapioca balls and where to find them. Ive got 5 bubble tea recipe ideas to share, with flavors ranging from strawberry to matcha to iced coffee boba and more.
Bubble tea also known as boba tea or bubble milk tea or pearl milk tea is a deliciously sweet milk-based drink with chewy tapioca pearls at the bottom. Because boba tea tends to be high in added sugars, Ive had tons of requests for a healthy bubble tea recipe . So, I decided to learn how to make bubble tea at home, so YOU are in control of the ingredients. Youll find 5 simple, lower sugar bubble / boba tea recipe ideas below for your inspiration!
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The Proportions Per Person
- 1/4 cup boba pearls
- Around 2 cups liquid *
- Ice
- *for milky teas, use 1 cup sweetened tea and 1 cup milk.
- *for smoothie boba, I blend 1 cup of tea-infused milk with 1 cup of fruit. Sweetened condensed milk is a good thing to add if you need an extra boost of sweetness in any of the recipes below.
Once you have these down, you can make anything into a boba drink. Lately, I’ve been loving adding a Thai Tea mix I picked up at my local Asian market, adding some condensed milk for sweetener and a splash of whole milk over boba pearls. I’ve also infused my favorite fruit teas with milk and blended that with fruit to have a smoothie boba . Below, you’ll find a few other options to try out.
Faq And Tips For Making Tapioca Pearls
- Use tapioca pearls within a few hours. Tapioca pearls are best if used within a few hours of cooking . They will get mushy. Make a smaller batch if you are worried about having extras.
- How to store cooked tapioca pearls. If you do have extra, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Cover and fully coat them in the honey syrup so that they don’t stick to each other. But again, you need to consume them within 4 hours before they start to get mushy. Do not store in the refrigerator as they will harden.
- Why are my pearls too soft? This will happen if they are overcooked, or if they have been sitting out for over 4 hours.
- Why are my pearls too hard? This will happen if they are undercooked or if stored in the refrigerator.
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Where To Find Boba
Boba is a wildly popular drink, making it easy to find in mainstream tea chains including Starbucks and Peet’s. The wide range of different flavors the tea offers has also resulted in the rise of dedicated bubble tea shops such as Sencha. Our tea shops, located in the Twin Cities and Madion feature dozens of flavor options uniquely hand-crafted bubble tea creations that change seasonally.
Boba drinks are also simple to make so you can create your own bubble tea at home. Here, we’ve put together a simple boba tea recipe that you can dress-up with additions such as shaved ice, custard, and flavorings or just enjoy the classic flavor as-is. It’s naturally gluten-free and doesn’t contain any dairyunless you choose to add additional ingredients.
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.
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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!
Where You Can Find Boba Tapioca Pearls
You can find boba at almost any Asian grocery store or online. These marble-sized spheres are made from tapioca, 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.
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Soaking The Pearls In Sugar Water
How To Cook Tapioca Pearls
There are two types of tapioca pearls quick cooking and raw. The quick cooking version will cook in about 15 to 20 minutes and the raw tapioca pearls can take up to 45 minutes to soften. Then depending on your preference and the type of tapioca pearls you use, you may want to rinse them and soak them in simple syrup to sweeten them up.
I personally recommend you use the quick cooking tapioca pearls I bought . You will need to boil them in water for about 15 minutes, they are done when they float to the top. You will then remove them from the heat, cover the pot, and let the pearls sit in the hot water for an additional 10 15 minutes.
They are done when they reach the desired level of chewiness. Drain and rinse pearls under cold water and transfer to a bowl.
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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.
Where To Find Boba Pearls
If you have an Asian market near you, that’s a good place to grab the uncooked pearls. You can also check out grocery stores like Walmart sometimes you can find it there. Amazon is also a good spot to check.
You can find tons of different kinds, flavors, and colors of these tapioca pearls, but I like the E-Fa black boba pearls the best.
I also tend to like the texture of the longer cook versions rather than the “instant” ones, but that’s something you may want to play around with. .
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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.
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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Putting The Tea In Boba Tea
The sweet and creamy bubble teas you buy in the stores are usually flavored with special powders and sweetened condensed milk. You can buy these powders online, along with the boba themselves, but I think that boba made with regular tea and other more natural sweeteners are just as good. You only need to make one cup of strong tea any tea of your choosing and mix it with regular milk, almond milk, sweetened condensed milk, or fruit juice. A little simple syrup leftover from soaking the boba helps sweeten things up.
Whats your favorite kind of bubble tea?
Get Permits Licensing & Staff Setup
As you get closer to opening up, you will want to make sure that you have the right permits and licenses, and that your employees have been hired and well-trained. You will also want to make a decision about using technology to help grow your business, such as an app for ordering, payment tools, or even partnering with a food delivery business.
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