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Bubble Tea

Course Drinks
Cuisine Asian
Keyword boba, bubble tea, tapioca pearls
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 4 -6
Author Alan & Marlys Arnold - Adventures with Tea

Ingredients

To make the Tapioca Pearls:

  • 8 cups Water
  • 1 cup Tapioca pearls boba

To make the Sugar Mixture:

  • 2 Tbls Brown sugar
  • 2 tsp Honey
  • 1/3 cup Hot water

To make each drink:

  • 2 Tbls Milk Tea Powder part of the Starter Kit featured below
  • 3/4 cup Coconut Memories tea brewed strong (or your favorite flavor)
  • 1 1/2 cup Ice

Instructions

To make the Tapioca Pearls:

  1. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large stock pan, then add 1 cup of the dry tapioca pearls. Stir for a few seconds, then cover and allow to boil for 5-8 minutes. Uncover and stir at least twice while cooking.
  2. Once the pearls have cooked, turn off the heat and move them to a different spot to cool for about 10 minutes.
  3. Use the wire scoop to remove the tapioca from the water and place them in a colander. Rinse carefully in cold water to remove the residue.
  4. Again using the wire scoop, place the pearls in a bowl filled with the sugar syrup mixture (directions below) and allow them to soak for 10-15 minutes. Stir a couple of times as necessary to prevent sticking. When prepared correctly, the pearls should be shiny and smooth with a slightly chewy texture.

  5. The pearls are now ready to use, or you can cover them and leave on counter for up to six hours.

To make the Sugar Syrup Mixture:

  1. Combine brown sugar, honey and hot water in a small mixing bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside until you're ready to soak the pearls.

To assemble the drink:

  1. Use the wire scoop to place about one inch of pearls in the bottom in each serving glass.
  2. Combine Milk Tea Powder and freshly-brewed tea in a metal shaker cup. Shake until the powder is fully dissolved. (That's why the tea must still be hot, so it dissolves quickly.) Add the ice and shake vigorously. Then pour the mixture into the glass, over the tapioca pearls. Put in an oversized straw and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

No powder? No problem!

Instead of using milk powder, you can use half-&-half (or your choice of milk) to make your drink.

Here's what you need to do a bit differently:

  1. Make a double-recipe of the Sugar Mixture, then set aside half of it to use as the sweetener for your drink.
  2. When you assemble the drink, replace the powder with 3 tablespoons of half-&-half, plus 3 tablespoons of the syrup.