One of my preferred summertime beverages is bubble tea. Originating in Taiwan, bubble tea (/) typically includes milk, sweetened tea, and the distinctive chewy tapioca balls, also known as boba (/). Bubble tea is available in a variety of tastes, including taro, a root vegetable that is frequently used in Asian cuisine, as well as simple tea varieties like black or jasmine tea and fruit flavors like strawberry or honeydew.
Even though I adore drinking bubble tea, the kinds found in the teahouse chains have too much sugar and I don’t particularly like them. The good news is that making bubble tea at home is simple. All you actually need for this bubble tea recipe is tea, tapioca pearls, milk, and a sweetener.
What is boba tea?
A tea-based beverage known as bubble tea or boba tea first appeared in Taiwan in the 1980s. It is generally given in a sealed plastic cup with an extra-long straw, along with sweetened milk and chewy tapioca balls. Boba tea has a kind of humor in itself as you have to chew and drink it up at the same time.
The question of who created boba tea is up for debate. According to one rumor, the proprietor of the Chun Shui Tang tea room, a tea shop in Taichung, central Taiwan, claimed he acquired the notion to serve tea cold after seeing coffee being done so while visiting Japan. The first boba tea was created when his product development manager added some prepared tapioca balls to her beverage during a company meeting.
Another tale comes from the Hanlin Tea Room in Tainan, Taiwan’s southernmost city, where the proprietor claimed that seeing white tapiocas for sale at a nearby market gave him inspiration. He made “pearl tea” by combining it with tea.
Tapioca balls come in various sizes. The larger, dark-colored ones are known as boba, and the smaller, amber- or white-colored ones are known as pearls. These days, depending on who you ask and where they’re from, the terms can be used interchangeably. It’s a north and south thing in Taiwan.
It can be a west coast versus east coast issue in the US. Even within California, the north and south have different tastes. There is even a theory that the term “bubble” in bubble tea refers to the foam that is formed when the milk is shaken rather than the toppings.
What kind of tea should be preferred for boba tea?
Black tea has historically been the favored option. You may find any type of tea at any reputable bubble tea business. Although Assam is frequently used as the benchmark, some teas are better served cold and with milk. For instance, green tea, jasmine tea, oolong, Assam, and Darjeeling are all suitable choices for something light. English breakfast, matcha, or Pu’er tea are all good options if you want something with a little more body and oomph. Earl Grey or masala chai can work nicely if you desire something with more flavor.
What kind of milk should be used for boba tea?
Generally, milk powder or cream is used in boba or bubble tea. You might have to pay for, ‘real milk’ in Taiwan for bubble tea. You can also explore flavored milk in your boba tea. You can also try plant-based milk for boba tea, for example; almond or soya milk. You can also refer to this article for more information on boba tea;
Which sweetener is to be used in boba tea?
Because caster sugar must dissolve whereas sugar syrup disperses fast and uniformly, I still prefer sugar syrup to a tablespoon of it when it is traditionally added to milk. We made two distinct kinds of syrup for our dish. One is a light brown sugar syrup to flavor the tapioca, and the other is a clear sugar syrup to flavor the milk tea.
The latter is a considerably more recent development since the milk gets marbled by dark sugar syrup. The brown sugar boba tea, which really contains no tea, has become one of the most well-liked alternatives in recent years. Brown boba is slowly cooked in brown sugar that has been caramelized, then served with ice and milk.
Other sweeteners can be added, including honey, maple syrup, and sweetened condensed milk, a staple in Asian kitchens.
The ability to customize each beverage makes boba/bubble tea one of the finest things ever. You can pick to have it with 50%, 30%, or zero sugar, as well as the amount of ice and whether you want any toppings at all.
How to make boba tea?
Step 1
Teabags or tea leaves should be brewed for 10 to 15 minutes in 100 cc of boiling water. Once the tea has cooled to room temperature, discard the teabags or tea leaves and set them aside.
Step 2
In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring 500ml of water to a rolling boil before adding the tapioca balls. Make sure the balls, or boba, aren’t adhering to the pan’s side by stirring the water with a rubber spatula. Increase the heat until it reaches a rolling boil, wait two minutes, then turn off the heat, but leave the pan on the stove with the lid on. To slow down the cooking, drain the boba in a sieve while the water is gently running under the faucet for about 20 seconds. To prevent sticking and to ensure that they are cooling down evenly, gently move the boba around in the mesh using the same spatula. once they are touchable cool,
Step 3
In the same pan over medium heat, combine the 50g of dark sugar and 60ml of water to make the sugar syrup. As it comes to a boil, stir slowly to ensure that all the sugar has dissolved. Shut off the heat and go outside to cool off. As it cools, it will become thicker. It will yield about 80ml of syrup or roughly 2 serves. Any syrup that is left over will keep for up to a month in a jar in the refrigerator. Mix thoroughly before adding the cooked boba. For a maximum of three hours, the boba can be left covered. Avoid cooling them since they will harden.
Step 4
Put the bubble tea together. If you wish to share, pour the sweetened boba into two smaller glasses rather than a 485ml glass. To give the glass wall a marbleized appearance, swirl the boba. Add the brewed tea along with 1 tablespoon of sugar syrup. Making sure not to scrape off the sticky marbled effect on the glass wall, add 1/2 cup of ice and swirl the mixture with a metal spoon to properly combine the tea and syrup. Serve with a boba straw and top with 200ml of chilled milk.
Amazing tips to make boba tea
- Add the tea, syrup, milk, and ice to a shaker and shake for 6 seconds if you want a frothy effect. After that, pour everything into the glass along with the boba syrup.
- If you like milk with a more creamy flavor, use milk alone.
- Honey, caster sugar, light-brown sugar, or agave syrup can all be used in place of sugar syrup.
- To save time, it is recommended to utilize quick-cook or pre-made boba.
- Since cooked boba only has a 3-hour shelf life, just cook as much as you will be serving.
