If you've ever tasted Bubble Tea, you know how delicious this drink can be. It is basically a sweetened iced tea or smoothie mixed with soft tapioca pearls (boba). With little time and the right ingredients, you can turn your kitchen into a bubble tea stall.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Making Tapioca Pearls
Tapioca pearls are usually found in two sizes and can be purchased in Asian supermarkets (or online). If you can, follow the instructions on the package, even though they may have been translated inaccurately. Usually, here's how it's done:
Step 1. Soak the pearls for a few hours if you want them to be soft all over, instead of soft on the outside and rubbery on the inside (which is how many people prefer)
Step 2. Measure 7 parts of water and one part of tapioca pearls
Bring the water to a boil.
Step 3. Add the pearls and mix everything, making sure that the pearls do not stick to the bottom
Step 4. When the pearls float to the surface, put the lid on the pot and let the water boil for 30 minutes
Stir every 10 minutes.
Step 5. Remove the pot from the heat and leave it covered for 30 minutes
Step 6. Rinse the pearls with warm or cold water
Step 7. Sweeten the pearls with honey or add sugar syrup to taste (which can also be used to sweeten the drink):
- Mix 201 gr in a saucepan. of white sugar, 210 gr. cane sugar 0.23 l of water.
- Boil and immediately remove the pot from the heat.
- Leave to cool
Step 8. Use the pearls immediately, or cover them and put them in the refrigerator for no more than 4 days (otherwise they become too soft)
When you want to use them, boil 0.23 l of water and throw the tapioca pearls in the water for a few minutes to heat them.
Method 2 of 3: Traditional Milk Tea
Step 1. Prepare the tea. Bubble Tea is traditionally made with black tea, but you can also use green tea, chai, yerba mate or any other type of tea
You can even use coffee!
Step 2. In a shaker, mix 169 g of tea, 30 ml of cream and 15 ml of sugar syrup (as described above)
You can also substitute cream with soy, milky, semi-skimmed, sweetened, or condensed milk.
Step 3. Add some ice, cover the shaker, and shake until it becomes frothy
(Tea takes its name from the bubbles formed by shaking, although many people believe it is due to the fact that tapioca pearls resemble bubbles!)
Step 4. Add 40/55 grams of cooked tapioca pearls to a glass and pour everything
Step 5. Stir and drink
Method 3 of 3: Fruit Bubble Tea
Step 1. Put together some ice, fresh fruit (or fruit juice), sweetener (ex
sugar syrup) and cream (or substitute) in a blender until liquid. Consistency and proportions can be adjusted as desired.
Step 2. Add between 40 and 55 grams of cooked tapioca pearls to a glass and pour the contents of the blender into the glass
Step 3. Stir and drink
Suggestions
- Tapioca pearls have a lot of calories! For a lighter alternative, try to find some coconut jelly (nate de coco) and cut it into small squares.
- If you can find large straws with which you can pull up tapioca pearls, you might better appreciate the bubble tea experience.
- You can also buy pearls which are ready in 5 min from your local Asian supermarket. This allows you to be able to prepare them easily and quickly whenever you wish.
