A Boba Milk Tea Recipe

[Marshall Banana]

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.

[Mo-Nercy]

I prefer my milk tea to actually taste like milk + tea (like the ones you order from Hong Kong themed cafes) so I might leave out the sugar syrup. I might give this a go if I ever see pearls for sale at my local Chinese grocers. I must admit I've never even thought to look.

Another drink I've been keen to reproduce at home is the Rock Salt Green Tea w/ Cheese from HappyLemon. Tastes better than it sounds!

[blackmage_nuke]

I usually just make a cup of black tea and add sweetened condesned milk or honey+normal milk

[Yar]

What does this have to do with Boba?

[Shorty]

Bobaaaaaa!

[Rye]

I want to try it. ;A;

[Marshall Banana]

I usually just make a cup of black tea and add sweetened condesned milk or honey+normal milk

I did that once (added sweetened condensed milk and nothing else). It was okay. I think I prefer the milk + sugar syrup additions, but I would like to try milk + honey sometime.

I can't really drink milk tea without boba, though. It's weird for me.

Also, the sugar syrup is really important, especially for the boba! If the boba pearls aren't soaked in sweetness they taste really weird.

[Melissaur]

How wonderful!

[Pheesh]

It looks like caviar and tea D:

[Timekeeper]

Argh, those things taste terrible xD
Mind you, I'm not a tea person...

[Marshall Banana]

It looks like caviar and tea D:

Argh, those things taste terrible xD
Mind you, I'm not a tea person...

I will kill you.

[Mo-Nercy]

In Hong Kong, they have these 'popping rainbow pearls' that I really like. They have a very thin surface layer so they 'pop' as soon as you bite into their fruity goodness. xD

I only know one place in Sydney that has 'em though. =(

[Marshall Banana]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NorthernChaosGod]

I didn't realize non-Asians liked boba.