I first had boba tea back in high school when my friend Annie took me to an Asian cafe in our hometown. Boba is made from tapioca and or jelly balls, and the balls can be dark brown or multi-colored, like the ones here. At first I was surprised by the little gummy tapioca pearls coming up the straw and had a hard time not swallowing them straight away. But after a few sips I was able to get the hand of swallowing the milk tea and chewing on the little gummies. Then when I went to LMU I found a little creperie right off campus that makes the BEST boba tea. My favorite was the jasmine milk tea boba, which I have recreated right here. I saw these tapioca pearls today at Simpang Asia for 2 bucks, and because I have little to no self control, I bought them and made this boba tea straight away. They're such fun and cute drinks, and pretty easy to make too. Enjoy them :)
Ingredients:
1/3 Cup Tapioca Pearls
2 Cups Water
1 Cup Brewed Jasmine Tea or Jasmine Green Tea Blend, chilled
1 Cup Whole Milk
1 Teaspoon Sugar
Prepare the tapioca pearls according to the directions on the package. For mine, I boiled 1/3 cup of uncooked boba in 2 cups of water for 1 minute uncovered and then an additional 7 minutes, covered. Drain the boba and set them aside.
Take out two glasses. Pour half of the tea in one glass and half of the tea in the other. Do the same with the milk and the sugar. Mix each glass well with a spoon until the milk, tea and sugar are completely blended. Add half of the boba to one glass and half to the other. Allow the boba to settle to the bottom of the glass. Serve cold.
Cory and I are going to Uwajimaya this week so maybe we'll have to pick some up!
ReplyDeleteAmazing photography! Do you think I could try making this with soymilk? I don't really drink regular milk but this looks like a cool recipe!
ReplyDeleteThis almost sounds delicious, even though I friggin' hate boba and its slimy little tapioca pearls. Super pretty anyway!
ReplyDelete- Melanie
You should make the tea with soy milk instead of water so that it is richer. And Melanie I totally understand, I have a couple of friends who can't do the texture. But the milk tea by itself is tasty :)
ReplyDeleteLove all your photos. The drink is so pretty with the colourful pearls.
ReplyDeleteI'm SO impressed that you attempted this at home - "Drinks I buy from other people" definitely fall into the category of "things I will never try to make on my own."
ReplyDeletePlus, those pearls are just gorgeous!
So pretty and such darling photos :)
ReplyDeleteLooks fantastic. Great photos as well
ReplyDeleteThat is simply gorgeous! Looks like little Easter eggs at the bottom. Very, very pretty.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds lovely. I have a bag of those colored tapioca pearls in my pantry. Jasmine tea and coconut milk for me! So nice and refreshing. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretty drink!
ReplyDeleteWhat a cute idea, I love everything that has Jasmine in it!
ReplyDeleteOk, everyone I've ever met has RAVED about boba milk tea, but I can't get over the face that it's a drink with chunks in it! Is it really that good? I don't think I could handle the texture.
ReplyDeleteI'm obsessed with boba milk tea. I don't think I could ever get sick of it. I love that you use the little colorful ones. They taste better when they are in color (I know the color doesnt affect the taste, but I "feel" like they taste better). I sometimes just make a batch of colorful ones to eat by themselves.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone!!!
ReplyDelete@Kathryn: The balls are smooth and round, not so chunky, but the smooth wet texture can also bother people. I got used to it after a few drinks, but some people, (like my friend Natalie), just plain don't like it. Make some for yourself and let me know what you think :)
@kirbie: I know what you mean, I like the colored ones better too haha! They're just so cute and fun I think it just tricks the brain into thinking they're even tastier.
It's actually really good if you use simple syrup instead of sugar. :) It dissolves easier and if you put too much in and it settles on the bottom, it's just like a little sweet treat at the end of your drink. ^___^
ReplyDelete@eejackie: Excellent idea! I will do that next time I throw some together :)
ReplyDeleteMy mother is addicted to boba tea (Me? Not at all. The balls scare me haha.). Anyway, she tried to make some boba tea at home a couple of weeks ago, but the pearls had no flavor, she said. I wonder if it was the brand. She, too, bought it from an Asian supermarket, but there plenty of brands there. I guess she'll have to try this again with another kind. Lovely photos!
ReplyDeleteI've always loved bubble tea. I was at an asian grocer recently and almost bought the multi-colored tapioca pearls but refrained because I wasn't sure how to make it properly! I'm totally going to try this. Now I just need to find the giant straws....
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I love boba tea, but have never seen the multi-colored pearls. Love it!
ReplyDeleteJust ran across your blog! Great idea... my daughter and I are obsessed with boba! I've never seen colored boba, so cute!!! Love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks you guys! I couldn't find the large boba straws either, I just scooped the boba out with a spoon to eat. I bet you could order them online, but they probably only come in bulk amounts for cafes :/
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ecrater.com/p/4772900/large-colored-boba-straws-pack-of-54
ReplyDeleteOkay, they do only come in bulk amounts, but it's only $2 for 50 of them, soooo pretty fantastically affordable :)
If you make your boba ahead and let them sit in simple syrup for a few hours, they get sweet.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip! I will definitely try that the next time I make some :)
ReplyDeleteI've read some other DIY boba threads. If your tapioca need more flavor, you might try adding some sugar or flavoring to the water you cook them in. Natural sugars like palm, turbinado, or agave nectar would probably give the best flavor.
ReplyDeleteI came over from Robyn's Mingle Monday. I love boba milk tea...I'm actually addicted! Great photos!
ReplyDelete@Julie Thanks Julie! Glad you found your way over :-)
ReplyDelete@anonymous: Excellent idea! Agave nectar would be fantastic.
Even though I know they're not good for me (carcinogenic preservatives in the tapioca balls), I cannot resist bubble tea...I just had one this weekend. I like how your bubbles are multicoloured!
ReplyDeleteI recently became obsessive boba tea lover! Except the city I live in currently doesn't have any restaurants that serve it! Time to make my own! Great post!!
ReplyDeleteAwesome post! Definitely going to try this one out and share it with friends :)
ReplyDeleteI've read some other DIY boba threads. If your tapioca need more flavor, you might try adding some sugar or flavoring to the water you cook them insearch engine optimisation specialistscool website designs
ReplyDeleteEach time that I see a Boba/Tapioca tea recipe I cannot but help to get excited. It is yummy; the pictures depicted/provided are surreal. My only request is that they be served hot/piping hot...steaming in the face cup of warmth. Other wise perfect, but I cannot surrender to milk or soy, no tolerance. Sorry!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing.
This looks very yummy. I would be very happy to try this at home. Good job!
ReplyDeleteSpeciality Tea
When I strain the boba after boiling, I let it sit in a mixture of hot water mixed with honey and brown sugar for at least 10 mins. You could even just do honey and it would probably be pretty sweet.
ReplyDeleteThat is an excellent idea! I will definitely try that the next time I make boba tea!
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