Many people have heard of boba tea, but they don’t know what it is. Boba tea, or bubble tea, as it is also called, was born in Taiwan at the end of the twentieth century. At first it conquered Asian countries by its originality and excellent taste qualities, and then fell in love with Europeans and Americans, who added to the traditional recipe a lot of their own ideas, making it even more tasty and varied. So what is boba tea? The answer is here!
What is boba or Bubble Tea
Boba tea is a kind of cocktail made from the actual tea (black or green), milk or fruit juice, and special food chewy balls – black tapioca pearls. They are usually sold in tea stores and in order to make them, you just boil them in boiling water, and the cooked balls do not have to be used immediately, but you can put them in the freezer and make drinks later.
Tapioca has a high starch content and easily absorbs flavors and aromas, so there can be many variations of the tea bean. Since their flavor itself is neutral, sugar syrup or honey is often added to them to add sweetness. Of course, granulated sugar can be used, but since it doesn’t dissolve as well, the flavor may not be as bright.
Tips for Making Bubble Tie
As mentioned earlier, there can be a huge variety of types and recipes for bobble tea. And, given the properties of tapioca, everyone can come up with their own smoothie. It can be milk, fruit, and chocolate. The combination of products and flavors can be selected by trial and error, and the options are limited only by your own imagination!
Standard boba tea is made as follows:
- Boil water and pour tapioca balls into it (7 to 1 ratio). Boil for 7-10 minutes until the beads are softened. You can increase the amount of products in order to cook more tapioca for the future, for this cooking time should be increased to 30 minutes (cooled balls can be put in the freezer);
- Prepare tea. It can be black tea (brewed at 80-90 ° C) or green tea (70-80 ° C), as well as any other, depending on what taste you want to get;
- Cool the tea and tapioca balls to room temperature;
- Put a few pieces of ice (2-5 depending on the size), tapioca, and pour the tea into the glass.
- This is how a classic Bubbly Tea is made, which anyone can quickly make at home. However, these are far from the most popular recipes. While adults can enjoy the tea flavor and feel all the notes of this drink, children prefer more familiar flavors based on milk and fruit.
Milk bubble tea recipe
Milk bean tea is worth mentioning separately. The preparation method is almost the same as the standard one (you just need to add milk), but this drink is thicker and sweeter. Any milk to taste will do, from ordinary cow’s milk and ending with oat milk, coconut milk or soy milk.
Many brands of tapioca pearls have a variety of flavors and sweeteners (such as condensed milk), which is why this drink goes so well with milk. Also, when mixing milk and tea, you can add ice and stir the mixture in a blender: this will make Bubble Tea more like a milkshake, which will especially appeal to children.
Fruity Bubble Tea
While Asian countries prefer the traditional bubble tea without additives, in other countries fruit bubble tea is especially popular. Its main feature is the huge variety of flavors, textures, and ways of making the drink. How to make boba tea with fruit? Very simple.
To a cup of tea you need to add milk or cream, as well as fruit juice to taste and ice. To make the cocktail more natural, you can use whole fruit. Oranges, bananas, strawberries and even mangoes are also suitable. All the ingredients need to be mixed in a blender, pour into a deep glass with tapioca and large chunks of ice. Milk can be excluded from the composition, but since it enhances and emphasizes the fruit flavor, this approach is “for aficionados”
Enjoy the taste of Boba tea
Boba tea is served in tall glasses and always chilled. For ease of consumption, it is recommended to use wide straws whose diameter allows tapioca balls to pass through. Although bubblegum tea can be stored for quite a long time, it is recommended to serve it only freshly brewed, as the consistency of the mixture will be more structured and the balls will not have time to soften.
Anything can be used as a flavoring: fruit, honey, milk, sugar syrup. To enhance the aftertaste, it is best to use brown sugar rather than white, as it dissolves better and has a more pronounced hue that goes well with black pearls.
Boba tea today has gained such popularity that separate stores dedicated to this drink are opening. In them you can buy all the necessary ingredients. Bubble tea is easy to make yourself at home, so it is definitely worth a try for everyone.
