It is impossible to single out the best existing drink. We all know that. However, we are sure that bubble tea is definitely among the top ones. This Taiwanese beverage has become a huge hit across many countries. And if you haven’t tried it yet, you must have spotted it somewhere on the web.
When bought in stores, bubble tea usually comes overpriced and way too sugary. But that’s not a problem, since you can make bubble tea at home. You won’t believe how easy it is.
That’s why, today you’re going to learn more about the bubble tea flavours of this drink and how to make bubble tea on your own. We’ve got a lot on our plate today! So, let’s get started!
What is Bubble Tea?
Bubble tea is a sweet tea-based, usually milky, drink with tapioca balls. It is also called boba tea and these two names are used interchangeably. Everything depends on the country or its particular region.
Bubble tea appeared in Taiwan in the 1980s. However, there is no single opinion on how it originated. Some people say it was created as an alternative to the iced coffee that was popular in Japan.
Others believe that boba tea was made by a mere accident, its taste so appealing it eventually became a separate beverage.
What makes bubble tea so special is boba or tapioca pearls 一 black balls added to the drink. They are made of tapioca flour, which makes them chewy, soft and with a neutral taste. They may be of different sizes and are usually served with a large straw.
We also can’t but mention that there is a huge variety of bubble tea flavours. Matcha, chocolate, peach, lychee, mango… The list goes on and on. So you can go for anything your heart desires.
If you are already a fan, today you are going to find out how to make bubble tea at home. We’ll explore three bubble tea recipes so you’ll be able to choose the one you like the most.
Let’s start, shall we?
How to Make Strawberry Bubble Tea
The strawberry flavour is one of the most popular ones among bubble tea fans. Even though you can buy it in cafes or some stores, nothing compares to the taste of the drink made on your own.
It’s not as complicated as it seems to be. Just have a look.
Ingredients:
- 450 ml hot water
- 150 ml milk
- 2 black tea bags (or 5 g loose tea leaves)
- 200 g strawberries
- 130 g strawberry popping boba
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ice cubes
Instructions
If you’ve gathered all these ingredients, we can continue with the steps you have to take. Just follow them carefully and enjoy the process.
Step 1:
Take the hot water and add the tea of your choice (either in bags or leaves). Leave everything brewing and remove the tea bags before moving to the next step.
Step 2:
Chop strawberries, add sugar and blend everything in a separate bowl to make a puree.
Step 3:
Take a glass you’ll serve bubble tea in and add some ice, strawberry puree and chilled tea.
Step 4:
Add strawberry popping boba together with some of its syrup to the glass and pour in the milk.
Step 5
Carefully mix the drink and add some chopped strawberries on top if you like. Now you are ready to taste this strawberry bubble tea you made!
How to Make Brown Sugar Bubble Tea
The bubble tea recipe instructions above weren’t that hard, were they? But that’s not it.
Here we have one more easy bubble tea recipe. If you want something sweeter and less fruity, check out this brown sugar drink.
Ingredients:
- 4 black tea bags
- ¼ cup water
- 4 cups milk
- ½ cup sugar-flavoured boba
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ice cubes
- Splash of heavy cream
Instructions
Once you have all the ingredients, we can continue with the preparation steps. These are quite similar to the previous recipe. Yet there are some moments you need to be guided through.
So, let's see what we’ve got here.
Step 1:
Heat the milk, put the tea bags in it and leave it brewing till the mixture is cool. If you like to use only milk without tea, go ahead. It’ll do just fine.
Step 2:
Take a pot, and add water and sugar there. Cook everything on medium heat until you have a thick syrup. Then turn off the heat and let it cool a bit.
Step 3:
Cook the sugar flavoured boba according to the packaging instructions and add them to the sugar syrup. Heat everything on medium heat once again until the texture is thicker.
Step 4:
Now you are ready to assemble the drink. Add boba, syrup, ice and milk tea to the cup and mix everything gently.
Add some heavy milk on the top for extra sweetness and voilà! You can finally take a sip.
How to Make Peach Bubble Tea
So far so many interesting options. However, we want to suggest one more recipe for bubble tea that is a must-try. If you’re up to something fruity and refreshing, this one is definitely for you.
Let's have a closer look at this drink.
Ingredients:
- 2 green tea bags
- ¼ cup tapioca pearls
- 1 ½ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 peaches
- ice
Instructions
The set of required ingredients is not too different from the previous two recipes. And the preparation steps won't be completely different.
Still, you need to cover all of them to make a perfect glass of bubble tea. Now, explore what you have to do.
Step 1:
Take a pot, add sugar and ½ cup of water and leave everything boiling on medium heat.
Step 2:
Peel, deseed and cut peaches into pieces. Add them to the boiling sugar mixture and continue cooking everything. Make sure to mash peaches finely in the process.
Wait till the syrup is thick. Then take it from the stove and set it aside for cooling.
Step 3:
Take a glass of hot water and steep the tea bags for about 3 minutes. Then wait till the tea cools to room temperature.
Note green tea is not the only option you can choose. If you prefer black or jasmine tea, you can use them instead.
Step 3:
Now the drink is almost ready to be served. Add tapioca pearls and peach syrup to the cup. You might as well add passion fruit flavoured boba to add more colour to the drink.
Pour in tea, milk and don’t forget about ice for the refreshing effect. Mix everything and you can finally try this delicious bubble tea.
How to Store Bubble Tea
If you’re wondering how you can enjoy this delicious drink for longer then this section has the answer you’re looking for. There are some details you should pay attention to.
The thing is, it is best to drink bubble tea when freshly made. If you cook tapioca pearls yourself, you can store them in water for up to 3 hours before making bubble tea. After this time they tend to become hard and sticky and lose their original softness.
Thus it’s better to make exactly as much boba as you need. Alternatively, store-bought boba can last comparatively longer. Just make sure to keep everything in an airtight container and follow the packaging directions.
However, you can prepare the syrup and brew some tea in advance since it saves time. Still, don’t keep brewed drinks in the fridge longer than 36 hours. They tend to become bitter.
One more thing: don’t put them in the fridge when they are still hot. It will negatively affect the taste of the tea.
All in all, it’s better not to keep your bubble tea for more than half a day in the fridge since tapioca pearls become hard very quickly.
Now that you know how to make homemade bubble tea you’ll always have your favourite drink at hand. You are free to play around with the tea and milk variations or even try to make this drink without milk.
Just like that, it’s you who decides how much sweetener to add and which one to choose. And that’s exactly what we love about bubble tea: easy recipe, a huge field for experiments and an exceptional taste that can be the highlight of your summer.
