Have you ever had boba? I know it’s not for everybody, but I am such a fan of that delicious tea with those cute little bubbles at the bottom! For those of you who don’t know, boba tea (or bubble tea) is basically flavored iced tea with milk and tapioca pearls at the bottom. I’m a little addicted because it’s such a refreshing treat, but the kind you buy at a shop is kind of pricey and heavy on the calories, so I decided to make my own! If you want to try too, here’s what you’ll need.
- boba pearls (you can find ‘em at most Asian grocery stores!)
- your choice of tea
- big boba straws
- skim milk (or if you want to go whole hog, condensed milk)
- agave nectar
First, brew a batch of tea and set it chilling. My favorites are thai tea or matcha green tea. I found that powdered tea makes a richer drink, while a regular batch of tea makes the drink thinner but saves a bunch of calories! You pick.
Next, prepare your boba. I try to find packages with instructions for cooking written in English, because they can be a little temperamental. I like to use the kind you find in the freezer case; that way, you can cook only what you need and keep the rest uncooked in the fridge. (You can also use the dry kind, but they’re more labor intensive to prepare. Also, boba should be consumed within a day or so of cooking, or the texture changes.)
If you have the frozen kind of boba, boil some water and put in a handful of pearls. When they puff up (about 2-3 minutes), reduce to medium heat and cover for about 5-6 minutes. Then scoop out the boba and set them aside to cool. I like to put about a tsp of agave nectar in with them while they’re cooling, to sweeten them just a bit.
Once everything is cooled, put it all together! In a glass, put boba on the bottom and add ice on top. Pour your tea over the ice. Leave about an inch of room on the top; fill with milk.
And that’s it! Pop in your boba straw and enjoy. I love being able to make these at home. It’s definitely a little labor intensive for a drink, but I try to think of it as a dessert and then I’m totally on board. Cheers! xoxo
