What Are The Bubbles In Bubble Tea

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.

What Does It Look Like

Served in a transparent cup to show off its bubbly qualities, bubble tea can be made in a wide range of ways. As well as using the aforementioned varieties of fruit infusions and teas, fresh fruits, crushed ice and milk are often features – a very fancy milkshake indeed. After popping all the ingredients together, it needs a thorough shake to blend it all together. James Bond would approve.

What Are Tapioca Pearls

Tapioca pearls are small chewy balls made from tapioca starch. Typically, these spheres are black in colour and are used for bubble tea. Although boba has a gelatinous texture, no gelatin is used in the process of creation. Therefore, this makes these small chewy spheres vegan friendly.Boba are naturally translucent and white in colour. However, black food colouring or brown sugar is often used in the process. This is to achieve the familiar black colour. Black boba pearls were created for an aesthetic purpose to contrast with the colour of milk tea.

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Making Bubble Tea With Fresh Milk Or Powder

Now that your boba is ready, its time to make your milk tea. Most bubble milk tea can be classified into two categories. One that uses fresh milk and one that uses a non-dairy creamer or a flavoring powder. Fresh milk bubble tea is usually made by mixing chilled black ceylon tea with milk in a 50/50 ratio. You can also substitute black tea for green or oolong tea but black ceylon tea is the most common. One you mixed your tea with fresh milk you can pour them over your cooked boba and enjoy!

Flavored bubble tea is also extremely popular and is usually made by using a 3 in 1 flavoring powder. To make this type of bubble tea, you just need to mix your flavoring powder with hot tea or hot water until it dissolves. Next add ice to your drink and shake for 8 seconds. Once your tea is properly shaken its time to pour it over your tapioca pearls.

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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Who Knew There Were So Many Ways To Drink Bubble Tea

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The first time walking into a boba cafe can be overwhelming. I felt totally lost the first time I looked at the never ending menu of creamy smoothies, iced lattes, and tropical teas. When I finally figured out what to order, the cashier asked if I wanted boba. Even though I didn’t really know what it was, I felt highly pressured to keep the line moving, so I said yes. Little did I know that was the start of my boba addiction. If you’re new to the world of bubble tea, here are the five basic types of boba to guide your decision during your first bubble tea purchase.

How Long Will They Last

Cooked pearls will last 4 hours at room temperature. Refrigerated pearls can last up to 3 days. However, these will not retain their original texture. While it is possible to freeze boba, we dont recommend freezing as the boba wont be soft and chewy. It is best to only cook how much you would like to use.

On the other hand, raw pearls have a much longer shelf life. Dried pearls covered in starch can last 2-3 months if stored correctly. Store in a cool dry place and away from sunlight. Using an airtight container will help to prolong its storage life.

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Are The Tapioca Pearls Healthy

The chewy balls aren’t wildly high in calories: A 1.1-ounce serving of uncooked pearls contains 68 calories . But because the pearls are typically soaked in a sugar mixture, their calorie count increases. Plus, they’re rarely consumed without the addition of calorically dense bubble tea drink.

More concerning, some say the tapioca pearls contain cancer-causing substances. A 2012 study conducted by researchers in Germany found that the pearls may contain traces of a carcinogenic chemicals called as polychlorinated biphenyls, theHuffington Postnoted. This issue has been debated, though: the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration refuted the claims and questioned the authenticity of study.

How To Drink Bubble Tea

The novelty of bubble tea is that everyone drinks it differently. Some drinkers ignore the tapioca pearls until theyve finished the beverage, then eat the pearls last. Some drinkers eat the tapioca pearls first, then enjoy their tea. Others may prefer a happy medium, sipping their tea and chewing tapioca pearls along the way. Theres no right way to enjoy bubble tea, which makes it a fun interactive drink thats entirely unique.

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Edibles Cocktails Skincare And All The Rest

Considering the amount of chewing already involved, its no surprise that boba pearls are now starring in a number of culinary applications, working their way into everything from souffle pancakes, sandwiches, hot pot soup, pizza, creme brulee, and of course the stalwart, shaved ice. Where to get it: Belle Époque , No. 23, Lane 52, Section 1, Daan Road, Daan District, Taipei also at Baoguo and Ice Monster, both with multiple locations across Taipei

For those who wish for their boba stiff, there are now boba cocktails, made with vodka, tequila, gin, rum, or bourbon. Bars throughout Taiwan and beyond are experimenting with these alcoholic boba concoctions, and Los Angeles even has a boba-centric bar dedicated to liquor-filled spins on traditional boba flavors. Where to get it:Chinese Whispers , No. 11, Alley 2, Lane 345, Section 4, Renai Road, Daan District, Taipei

And then, go ahead, smear boba all over your face if you want. Taiwan now offers lotions, facial blotting tissues, candles, and even boba milk tea face masks , all boasting the signature, sticky-sweet fragrance of boba milk tea. Gimmicky, sure, but anything in the name of beauty and boba. Where to get it:Annies Way Mask Gallery

Hk Milk Tea Bubble Tea

This is simple homemade recipe for HK Milk Tea Bubble Tea full of strong black tea, rich, creamy condensed milk, and hand-rolled tapioca pearls.

One of my favourite flavours of bubble tea is HK milk tea.

Maybe its me becoming older, but Ive shied away from the fruity teas in favour of more caffeinated versions.

Ive covered how to make tapioca/boba pearls in this post, so this is just a post on how to make Hong Kong/ HK Milk Tea since I had a few people ask me for my recipe.

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What Is Boba Made Of

Boba balls are soft, jelly-like spheres made primarily of tapioca, which derives from cassava roots. They are the bubbles in bubble tea and are also called tapioca balls, pearls, or boba. In addition to tapioca, they may also contain a sweetener, such as sugar or caramel, along with other ingredients for texture and preservation, like corn starch or potassium sorbate. Boba balls range in size from small to large the large pearls are commonly used in bubble tea.

Why Is It Called Pearl Milk Tea

Pearl Milk Tea is another name for boba or bubble tea. This name comes from another translation directly from Chinese which is . is another name for the tapioca pearls and is literally translated as pearl. is translated as milk tea so when you put them together you have Pearl Milk Tea .

So bubble tea, boba tea and pearl milk tea all mean the same thing. Not only that but bubble tea is becoming more everyday with new shops opening all around the world.

Whatever you want to call it Bubble Tea, Boba Tea, Pearl Milk Tea, etc. is up to you! If youre interested in learning more about bubble tea or learning how to open your own bubble tea shop, sign up for our free e-book below!

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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.

Who Invented Bubble Tea

There is no documented evidence about the invention of bubble tea, but as with many teas, there is a story around it! Rumour has it that the blend first appeared in Asia in the 1980s. Just visit Taiwan or Hong Kong and you cant help but notice the unique bubble teashops on every corner. Taiwanese tea stands became very popular in the 1980s as a post-work pick me up and place to hang out. This created a certain competitive atmosphere in the tea market, and merchants started searching for and creating ever more inventive variations on their teas and beverages.It is said that a teahouse called Chun Shui Tang in Taichung began serving Chinese tea cold having adopted the idea from Japanese-style iced coffee. Just a few years later, Chun Shuis product development manager, one Ms. Lin Hsiu Hui was bored at a staff meeting. On the spur of the moment, she decided to dump her Taiwanese dessert called fen yuana sweetened tapioca puddinginto her Assam iced tea and drink it. It was so good that they decided to add it to the menu, where it soon became the franchises top-selling product. Soon after seeing the success of this drink at one teahouse, concessions all over Taiwan started adding tapioca pearls and different fruit flavours to their iced teas, and so began bubble tea as we now know it!From Taiwan, its popularity has spread throughout China, Australia, the United States, and now right here in the UK.

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Food Product For Humans

In many cultures, especially in the West, humans continue to consume milk beyond infancy, using the milk of other mammals as a food product. Initially, the ability to digest milk was limited to children as adults did not produce , an enzyme necessary for digesting the lactose in milk. People therefore converted milk to , cheese and other products to reduce the levels of lactose. Thousands of years ago, a chance mutation spread in human populations in Europe that enabled the . This mutation allowed milk to be used as a new source of nutrition which could sustain populations when other food sources failed. Milk is processed into a variety of products such as , , , , , and . Modern industrial processes use milk to produce , , lactose, , , and many other food-additives and industrial products.

Whole milk, butter and cream have high levels of . The sugar lactose is found only in milk, and possibly in flowers and a few tropical shrubs. Lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose, reaches its highest levels in the human small intestine immediately after birth, and then begins a slow decline unless milk is consumed regularly. Those groups who continue to tolerate milk have often exercised great creativity in using the milk of , not only cattle, but also sheep, goats, , , horses, and . India is the largest producer and consumer of cattle- and buffalo milk in the world.

What Exactly Is Bubble Tea And What Are The Ingredients

Bubble tea or boba is essentially a tea-based drink that includes 4 different ingredients.

• Freshly brewed tea
• Sweetener or syrup
• Toppings

Bubble tea shops generally use loose leaf Assam black tea, oolong tea, green tea or jasmine tea for tea bases. Some bubble tea flavors call for a darker tea base which equate to a deeper flavor profile.

Whereas other bubble tea flavors call for a lighter tea base for a subtle taste. Like oolong milkk tea. Both flavor profiles are just as great, it depends on how you are feeling at the moment.

For milk or creamers, youll find a lot of bubble tea shops using sweetened condensed milk. But, the use of other types of milk or dairy are popular too.

Some popular milk or dairy products in bubble tea drinks are traditional cows milk, oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, skim milk and/or coconut milk. Read all the alternatives to dairy here.

If the bubble tea store doesnt use sweetened condensed milk, then most likely a syrup of some sort is used. If sweetened condensed milk is used then, of course, no added sweetener is needed.

Popular syrup for bubble tea flavors includes traditional syrup, brown sugar syrup or honey. You may find bubble tea shops use unique housemade syrups too.

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So Why The Name Bubble Tea

The drink has a number of monikers, including pearl milk tea and tapioca tea, but it’s most commonly referred to as bubble tea or milk tea. The term “bubble tea” is actually a reference to the milk froth that forms when the drink is shaken, not the chewy pearls in the drink that resemble bubbles, Quartz noted. The name “boba,” on the other hand, originates from a Taiwanese slang term for the pearls.

Surprising Things That Happen To Your Body When You Drink Bubble Tea Daily

Inarguably, bubble tea is becoming trendy and making the splash on the beverage scene.

Originally created in Taiwan, bubble tea has spread out to the U.S as a mainstay refreshment.

It is made using freshly brewed milk, tea, sugar, and varieties of flavors that are shaken together to form bubbles in the tea.

Whats more, you can customize the tea with an array of flavors, jellies, and syrup, creating a plethora of yummy and aesthetically pleasing drinks.

And while a bubble tea lover could drink several cups of bubble tea every day, it may not be the best healthy addition to your diet. But what happens when you decide to sip them regularly?

Drinking bubble tea every day keeps you hydrated

Women are generally advised to drink an estimated 2.7 liters of water every day. This amount looks daunting, especially those who hate to chug old-fashioned H20.

Certainly, bubble tea is refreshing, but does it hydrates the body? According to a Mayo Clinic article, Caffeinated drink is a little diuretic and may cause you to urinate. Intuitively, many people would believe that it could cause dehydration.

However, recent research confirmed that a few cups of caffeinated beverages every day does not have a dehydrating effect. You can think of caffeinated drinks like bubble tea as an additional source of water. And no! Bonus hydration wouldnt hurt!

Drinking bubble tea every day might get you your desired boost

But does the caffeine in the boba tea deliver the much-needed boost?

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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 .