What is Bubble Tea and How to Make

Bubble tea is normally made using either black tea or green tea. It is also called Boba tea, which is reference to a famous Hong Kon sex symbol’s nickname. Her name was Amy Yip.

What are the bubbles made of?

When it comes to the bubbles, are made of tapioca pearls which are fully edible. These pearls are made of cassava plant roots. It is the same pearls like you find in tapioca pudding, however they are made a bit differently. They are boiled, then soaked in caramelized sugar which makes them swell up and get bigger.

History of Bubble Tea

Brazil brought tapioca to Taiwan during the 1900s and it was an immediate hit. It was first used to thicken desserts, and then in the 1980s someone decided to add it to milk tea, which started a new trend. Then, migrants from Taiwan brought bubble tea to the US during the 1990s, first to California and then to other places where there is a large population of Asians.

Kinds of Bubble Tea

There are several kinds of bubble tea flavors. Here are several of the most popular:

Classic bubble tea – This version is very basic. It has milk, black tea, tapioca pearls and sweetener of your choice. It is sort of like an iced tea latte but you add in the pearls.

Green bubble tea – This version is similar to the classic, except for using matcha green tea. It makes it a pretty green color and has a lot of healthy antioxidants.

Brown sugar bubble tea – This is similar to a vanilla tea latte. You make it the same except add in brown sugar and vanilla to make it fancier and decadent.

Taro bubble tea – Taro grows underground like potatoes, but has a taste like coconuts. It is ranges from white to purple in color. Puree from taro gives bubble tea a creamy texture and turns it into something similar to coffee frappes. It is full of healthy fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals, so it’s very healthy.

Dessert bubble tea –This version is a bit crazy. It could have things like pudding or custard, as well as red bean paste, sweet potatoes, and panna cotta. It makes it so thick likely you need a spoon to eat it. It is rather calorie filled so it doubles as a tasty dessert to have on rare occasions.

How to make bubble tea at home

If you want to try your hand at making bubble tea at home, it is not that hard to do. You need to go to an Asian market to get the tapioca pearls. Then these are boiled for about five minutes and they should plump up nicely. Then either take them out of the water with a slotted spoon or refrigerate until needed.

Brew some strong black or green tea, then let the tea cool down. Then add in your other ingredients, to include the pearls, and some sweetener of your choice. The best sweeteners to use are maple syrup, honey or agave nectar. The tea is then poured over the tapioca pearls and lastly you add in the milk. If you want to change things up, try some almond milk instead of regular milk.

If you want a real bubble tea experience, you also need some wide mouth straws so you can suck up the pearls.

Other versions of bubble tea besides drinks

There are also other edible treats that use bubble tea such as ice cream and candy. In fact, this niche is widely growing and the bubble tea market was estimated to be worth over two billion dollars in 2019 and by 2027 is predicted to grow to more than four billion dollars.

The pearls are made with cassava root. The whiter pearls are purely the root, while the darker pearls are combined with brown sugar to give them that distinctive appearance.

All in all bubble tea is a fun and tasty type of drink both adults and kids are sure to love no matter what flavor it is. Enjoy some today.