Introduction
Want to know how to make bubble tea? Have trouble making it taste right? Keep getting tea leaves in your straw? Or maybe you are just curious about what goes into this delicious drink. Either way, we have got you covered! This guide will cover everything you need to know about making bubble tea, from what kind of tea to adding those all-important bubbles. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about making bubble tea at home. Also, you can’t expect to spend all this time making bubble tea and not have some left over. So, if you are looking for ways to use up your bubble tea, we have some suggestions for that too!
What is bubble tea?
Bubble tea is a cold drink that originates in Taiwan. It is made with tea, milk, and tapioca pearls. Bubble tea can be made with different tea types, but black and green tea are the most common. The tapioca balls are added to the bottom of the cup and are sucked up through a large straw. Bubble tea is also called boba tea, boba milk tea, and tapioca ball drink.
In fact, there are many recipes for bubble tea. The most common recipe is black tea with tapioca pearls, but you can also make it with green tea, oolong tea, white tea, or even herbal tea. Bubble tea can also be made with different types of milk, including cow’s milk, soy milk, almond milk, and coconut milk. Bubble milk tea and fruit bubble tea are also popular variations.
Why make bubble tea at home?
Now, you might be wondering why you would want to make bubble tea at home when you can just buy it at a bubble tea shop. In fact, there are hundreds of bubble tea shops across the country. If you live in Asia, you probably have one on every corner!
Even now UK and USA are catching up with Asia, with more and more bubble tea shops popping up. So, why would you want to make it at home?
Let’s discuss a few reasons:
You can control the ingredients.
When you make bubble tea at home, you can control what goes into it. This means that you can choose to use organic tea leaves, fresh milk, and natural sweeteners. You can also control the amount of sugar you add to your tea.
You can control calorie intake.
A large cup of bubble tea can have over 500 calories! By making it at home, you can control how many calories you are consuming. For instance, you can choose to use skim milk or unsweetened almond milk to reduce the calorie content.
Home-made tea it organic.
Store-bought bubble tea may contain harmful ingredients. A lot of store-bought bubble tea contains artificial flavors, colors, and sweeteners. These can be harmful to your health in the long run. Even research has shown that store-bought bubble tea can contain high levels of pesticides. Chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, have been found in store-bought bubble tea. So, if you are looking for a healthier option, making bubble tea at home is the way to go.
You can save money.
That’s right, making bubble tea at home is actually cheaper than buying it from a store. When you make it at home, you can reuse the tapioca boba pearls, which means you don’t have to keep buying them. Also, loose-leaf tea is actually cheaper than bubble tea powder.
It’s more fun to make at home.
Let’s be honest; making bubble tea is a lot more fun than just buying it. It’s a great activity to do with friends or family, and you can all customize your own tea.
What are the two most important things you need to make bubble tea?
The two most important things you need to make bubble tea are tea and boba pearls. We will talk in detail about these two ingredients below.
Tea types and quality
As we mentioned before, bubble tea is traditionally made with black tea or green tea. However, you can really use any type of tea you want. Some people even use herbal tea or rooibos tea. The important thing is that you use good quality tea. This is because tea is the prominent flavor of the drink. If you use low-quality tea, your bubble tea will not taste good.
When it comes to black tea, there are many different types you can choose from. Some of the most popular types of black tea are Assam, Darjeeling, and Ceylon. These teas all have different flavor profiles, so choose one that you think you will like. If you want a more mellow flavor, go for an Assam tea. If you want a more complex flavor, go for a Darjeeling tea. And if you want a lighter flavor, go for a Ceylon tea.
As for green tea, there are also many different types to choose from. Some of the most popular types of green tea are Sencha, matcha, and hojicha. Again, these teas all have different flavor profiles, so choose one that you think you will like. If you want a more grassy flavor, go for a Sencha tea. If you want a more bitter flavor, go for a matcha tea. And if you want a more roasted flavor, go for a hojicha tea.
Tapioca Pearls
Tapioca pearls are small, round balls made from tapioca starch. They are translucent and have a chewy texture. They are the key ingredient in bubble tea, and they are what gives the drink its unique texture.
When choosing tapioca pearls, you want to make sure you get the right size. If they are too big, they will be hard to chew. If they are too small, they will be difficult to slurp up through a straw. The ideal size is somewhere in between.
You also want to make sure you cook the tapioca pearls properly. They will be hard and difficult to chew if they are not cooked enough. If they are overcooked, they will be mushy and difficult to slurp up through a straw. The ideal consistency is somewhere in between. You want the tapioca pearls to be chewy but not too hard, and you want them to be soft but not too mushy. Chewy tapioca pearls are easy to drink, so make sure you get a perfect balance.
These are the two main ingredients you need for making bubble tea. Now let’s talk about some of the other ingredients you might want to use.
Also read: What are bubbles in bubble tea?
Other Ingredients
While tea and tapioca pearls are the two main ingredients in bubble tea, there are other ingredients you can use to make your drink more unique.
Milk
You can use milk to make your bubble tea richer and creamier. Whole milk is the best type of milk to use, but you can also use skim milk or almond milk.
Syrup
You can use syrup to sweeten your bubble tea. The most common type of syrup used is simple syrup, but you can also use flavored syrups like rose syrup or lavender syrup.
Fruit Juice
You can use fruit juice to add more flavor to your bubble tea. Some of the most popular juices to use are mango juice, peach juice, and strawberry juice.
Now, let’s get to the good stuff – how to make bubble tea!
How to make bubble tea?
Now, if you are complete for a bubble tea novice, don’t worry – we will walk you through the entire process step by step. But before we get started, let’s go over what you will need to make bubble tea.
Other than ingredients, you will need:
- A large pot: This is for cooking the tapioca pearls.
- A strainer: This is for straining the tapioca pearls after they have been cooked.
- A blender: This is for blending the tea and milk together.
- A pitcher: This is for storing the bubble tea in the fridge.
- Cups: For serving the bubble tea.
- Large straws: For drinking bubble tea.
Now that you have all of your supplies let’s get started!
Step 1: brew your tea
The first step is to brew your tea. If you are using loose-leaf tea, you will need to steep it for 3-5 minutes. If you are using tea bags, you will need to steep them for 5-7 minutes.
As we mentioned earlier, there are many different types of tea you can use for bubble tea. Some of the most popular types are black tea, green tea, and oolong tea. Again, it is up to you to choose which type of tea you want to use. Al the flavors, you can experiment and find the perfect combination for you. Since everything is available online, buying in bulk and trying different varieties is easy and fun!
Step 2: Choose your flavorings
The next step is to choose your flavorings. This is completely up to you and your preferences. Some popular flavorings include:
- milk
- fruit juices
- syrups
- powders
- canned fruits
- jams
You can really use any type of flavoring you want. Just keep in mind that you will need about 1/4 cup of flavoring per cup of bubble tea. And if you are making for more than one person, you will need to adjust the amount of flavoring accordingly. You can also add other ingredients like Boba, jelly, or cheese foam. These ingredients are not necessary, but they can make your bubble tea even more unique.
Step 3: Cook the tapioca pearls
The next step is to cook the tapioca pearls. This is a very important step because if you don’t cook the pearls properly, they will be hard and chewy.
To cook the tapioca pearls, add them to a large pot of water and bring them to a boil. Then, turn the heat down to medium and let the pearls cook for about 15 minutes. Once they are done cooking, strain them and rinse with cold water.
Many people also like to add sugar or honey to the water while the pearls are cooking. This helps to make them sweeter. It’s entirely up to you whether or not you want to add sugar. You can also prepare sweetener separately to add after cooking if desired. Brown sugar syrups are one of the finest natural syrups you can use in tea.
Add honey and brown sugar to a small pot of water and cook until dissolved. Then, add the syrup to the cooked tapioca pearls and stir well. Honey is a great alternative if you are looking for a healthier option. People mix honey with water in a 1:1 ratio. This way, the honey is evenly distributed and doesn’t clump up. Usually, I add about 1/4 cup of honey for every 4 cups of water for a more tasty bubble tea recipe.
Prepare the homemade syrup:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
Add sugar and water to a small pot and cook over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Things you need to make sure of while preparing the syrup:
- Do not let the syrup come to a boil.
- Stir the syrup occasionally.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and let cool.
You can store the syrup in a jar or container for later use.
Step 4: Prepare the bubble tea
While the tapioca pearls are cooking, you can prepare the tea. If you are using loose-leaf tea, add the tea leaves to a pot of hot water and let steep for 3-5 minutes. If you are using tea bags, add the tea bags to a pot of hot water and let steep for 3-5 minutes.
Once the bubble tea has finished steeping, add the milk and sugar (if using) and stir until combined. Then, transfer the tea to a blender and blend until smooth.
Step 5: Warm the brewed tea
Once the bubble tea is brewed, you will need to warm it up. This is because you don’t want the tapioca pearls to cool down and harden. To warm the tea, simply place it back on the stove over low heat and cook for about 2 minutes.
If you want, you can also add the tapioca pearls to the tea while it is warming up. This will help to soften them and make them easier to chew.
An alternative is cold brew tea.
If you prefer cold bubble tea, simply brew the tea using cold water instead of hot water. Then, add the milk and sugar (if using) and stir until combined. Next, transfer the tea to a blender and blend until smooth.
You can also add ice to the blender when blending if you want. This will help to make the bubble tea even colder. Cold tea is just like coffee; it’s meant to be enjoyed cold. The Japanese love cold brew green tea, so it’s no surprise that cold bubble tea has become popular as well.
Step 5: Add the tapioca pearls
Once the bubble tea is prepared, it’s time to add the tapioca pearls. To do this, simply add them to the bottom of each cup. Then, pour the bubble tea over the pearls. You can also add fruit or other flavorings at this point if you want.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy!
Now, all that’s left to do is serve the bubble tea and enjoy! If you are serving more than one person, be sure to add the tapioca pearls to each cup before adding the bubble tea.
This is just a basic recipe for bubble tea. Feel free to experiment with different flavorings and ingredients to find the perfect combination for you. There are no rules when it comes to making bubble tea, so have fun and enjoy!
Storage instructions:
Once prepared, bubble tea can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just be sure to add the tapioca pearls right before serving.
If you want to make a large batch of bubble tea and have it on hand, you can store the brewed tea and tapioca pearls separately. Then, when you’re ready to drink, simply combine them and enjoy!
Bubble tea is best served fresh, but these storage tips will help to keep it tasty for days to come.
How to make Bubble Tea; Additional Tips and Tricks:
- If you find the tapioca pearls too hard, simply place them back in the pot of water and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- If you want a stronger tea flavor for tapioca milk tea, add more tea leaves or steep for longer.
- If you want a sweeter bubble tea, add more sugar to the syrup or use a sweeter tea such as oolong.
- If you want a creamier bubble tea, add more milk or use higher fat milk such as whole milk. In fact, whole milk is the traditional choice for bubble tea.
- If you want a healthier bubble tea, use green tea (Jasmine tea) and honey instead of black tea and sugar. You can also use skim milk or non-dairy milk such as almond milk.
- For a fun twist, try adding some fruit juice or flavored syrups to the bubble tea. Popular choices include mango, strawberry, and lychee.
- If you want to make an alcoholic bubble tea, simply add your favorite liquor to the tea. Popular choices include rum, vodka, and whiskey. Just be sure to drink responsibly! Though bubble tea is delicious, it can be quite addicting. So, be sure to enjoy it in moderation!
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to make bubble tea. Bubble tea is a delicious and refreshing drink that’s perfect for any occasion. With so many different flavor combinations, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. And that’s it! Now you know how to make bubble tea at home. Just remember to have fun and experiment with different flavor combinations.
There are endless possibilities when it comes to bubble tea, so don’t be afraid to get creative. Cheers!
Remember, making bubble tea is all about having fun. So don’t stress out if your first attempt isn’t perfect. Just relax and enjoy the process. With a little practice, you’ll be a bubble tea expert in no time!
