This recipe is a product of various recipes I've read on the internet (such as how to cook tapioca pearls and make sugar syrup) combined with my own experimentation (milk to tea ratio). I love boba milk tea!

Serves about four -- with extra pearls to spare!



I bought these at 99 Ranch.

Ingredients:

Sugar Syrup
  • 1 cup of brown sugar (I'm using light brown sugar)
  • 1 cup of white sugar
  • 2 cups of water


Tapioca Pearls
  • 1 cup of pearls
  • 10 cups of water
  • 1/2 cup of sugar syrup


Tea (My rule is 1 small spoonful per cup of water)
  • 2 spoonfuls of tea of your choice (I'm using Ceylon Dibula or whatever it's called.)
  • 2 cups of water


Boba Milk Tea (1 glass)
  • 1/4 cup of cooked tapioca pearls
  • 1/2 cup of milk (You'll need 2 cups in total, if you're serving four people)
  • 1/2 cup of tea
  • 1/3 cup of sugar syrup
  • Ice cubes (optional)


Supplies:

I use a french press to make the tea and a cocktail shaker to mix the pearls, milk, tea, and syrup with ice at the end for a quick cool-down, but you can use whatever you like.

Also, you need fat straws. I found some at 99 Ranch.

Instructions:

Sugar Syrup
  1. Bring water to boil.
  2. Add both sugars and stir.
  3. Boil for 5 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and let cool.




You can store whatever's leftover.

Tapioca Pearls
  1. Bring water to boil.
  2. Add pearls.
  3. Stir pearls until they float.
  4. Bring water to boil again.
  5. Cover and reduce heat.
  6. Let simmer for 30 minutes.
  7. Remove from heat and let sit for about 25 more minutes.
  8. Drain and rinse with cold water, so the pearls don't cook any further.
  9. Let the pearls soak in 1/2 cup of sugar syrup (must not be hot!) for at least 10 minutes. Maybe even 20.




I start making the sugar syrup at the same time I start cooking the pearls, so the sugar syrup is cooled down in time for the pearls' sugar bath!

Tea
  1. Let brew for about 5 minutes.


Boba Milk Tea
  1. Combine milk, tea, sugar syrup, and ice (ice is optional) in a cocktail shaker (also optional) and shake well!
  2. Serve with at least 1/4 cup of pearls. Don't be a coward!




I hope someone finds it useful! It's not as complex as it might seem at first. I promise! I just wanted my recipe to be thorough.