Have you heard of boba tea, also known as bubble milk tea, pearl milk tea, or tapioca milk tea? With its social media presence, you may wonder what the appeal of this somewhat new sensation is…well, at least new to the western world.
Originating in Taiwan in the early 1980s, Boba tea is a cold-served, tea-based drink with a fruit or milk flavor and edible pearls or chewy tapioca balls. It is considered a delicious, comfort and is made with black or green sweetened tea with the unique boba pearls that sink to the bottom of your cup.
Because the chewy-textured, gluten-free, boba pearls are flavor-free, you can make them any flavor that you like depending on the makeup of the tea and added ingredients.
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There are a variety of boba teas, but do not let the word “tea” make you think it is healthy. As a matter of fact, the amount of sugar in boba tea is equal to drinking soda. This may not be much of a surprise to those who enjoy the sweet flavor of this delicious drink.
The most common tea flavors are milk tea, Thai tea, and pearl milk tea, with the black tea with tapioca pearls with honey and sugar (also called pearl milk or bubble milk tea) being the most popular in the United States.
In Western cultures, orange food dye may be added to make the tea color orange, most likely for the purpose of differentiating the Thai tea from the black tea, but it does not change the flavor.
There are also fruity and creamy variations of this popular drink, as well as smoothies, with the tapioca pearls.
For the boba or tapioca pearls, the easier most convenient method is to purchase the pearls in a bag for you to
make your tea at home. Start with putting them in a pot of water, allowing them to soak overnight. The pearls will be plumper for cooking the longer that they soak.
Next, boil the tapioca pearls, cooking them for 10 minutes. After cooking, let them sit until they cool down. Then drain out the water and let the pearls dry for about an hour on a cookie sheet. They are now ready for the boba tea, which is just as easy to make.
If using bagged tea, place one bag into a kettle or pot with a cup of water for the tea to brew on medium-high heat (if using loose leaf tea, use one or two tablespoons).
If it starts to boil over, add more water to prevent that from happening. Once it starts to boil, wait for two to three minutes before taking out the tea bag or loose tea leaves.
To sweeten your boba tea, add honey or sugar, suited to your taste, after turning off the heat.
Then add your tapioca pearls and stir them in, covering the pot afterward and letting the tea sit for five minutes. Next, it is all about the flavors that you want to add – almond extract, coconut extract, vanilla extract, or even caramel syrup are some good flavor options. Flavored milks also help with your flavoring.
Whether you serve your drink in the same pot it was made in or pour it into a cup and serve with a spoon (which helps with the pearls that get stuck at the bottom), you can now enjoy your boba tea!
To be a little more creative, feel free to add fruit toppings, crushed ice, condensed milk, or all!
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