Bubble Tea

Are you ready for a fun summertime drink. If yes, pick up some tea, milk sugar, tapioca pearls and a large straw. We are making bubble tea.

You may have seen bubble tea at the mall or at some beverage kiosk. It is all the range in Asia where it may be called pearl shake, boba tea, momi or zhen zhu nai cha. Basically, bubble tea is strong black tea with sugar, milk and tapioca pearls.

At the heart of bubble tea is the tapioca pearls. When I first ventured out to buy them I was unlucky and just bought minute tapioca. Minute tapioca is fine for pudding and gravy but it does not have the same wow factor as tapioca pearls. The minute tapioca does create the bubbles but they are smaller. I finally found tapioca pearls at an Asian grocery store. If you unable to get yours hands on tapioca pearls you can certainly use the minute tapioca and a smaller straw. Cheers!

Bubble Tea

4 cups water
½ cup tapioca pearls
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ½ cups strong black tea
1 ½ cups milk
sugar to taste
ice

In a large pot bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the pearls. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let set for another 15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Divide pearls among two large glasses. Mix tea, milk and sugar in a pitcher and pour into glasses. Add ice and straw. Enjoy.

National Tapioca Day is June 28th