What is Bubble Tea? A Simple Beginner's Guide to Boba

Bubble tea comes in all sorts of forms, but here we’ll focus on the traditional bubble tea with tapioca pearls. Boba owes its existence to Taiwan, where this delicious drink was created in the 1980s – so it’s relatively recent to the tea world!

Tapioca pearls are quite chewy and some would say they are more of an acquired taste. If you don't like tapioca, bubble tea can be made with fruit popsicles, which many people prefer. This allows for great customization as you can choose the flavor of your tea and a different flavor of popsicles.

But who thought of putting these pearls in tea? Well, milk tea was already a popular drink in Taiwan, and tapioca a common dessert - so why not combine the creamy smoothness of milk tea with the chewy dessert? This drink quickly became popular and spread throughout Taiwan and other parts of East Asia. New variations began to appear, including jelly, egg pudding, red bean, fruit teas, and more.

Today, you can see Bubble Tea shops all over the world as people love the sweeter, lighter and more refreshing tea - especially in the summer. If you pass by a bubble tea shop, why not give it a try? You can customize your drink to your liking.

How to make Bubble Tea

What will you need?

• Bubble tea gift set
• Tea of ​​your choice. For traditional tea, we recommend using teas such as oolong, black, or Earl Grey.
• Milk of your choice.

Making Bubble Tea properly is essential. It's not difficult to make the beans, but the hardest part is making the tapioca pearls, as they are sold dry. You need to boil the tapioca for 30 minutes and then let it cool for 30 minutes. If your pearls are too soft, they will stick together in one big lump, but if they are too hard, you won't be able to chew them. Consistency is key.

Our bubble tea kit comes with instructions, but if you're using your own, here's a guide on how to make the beans.

• In a large pot, boil about 10 cups of water for ½ cup of dried pearls . (1/2 cup dried pearls = one cup of cooked pearls) DO NOT rinse the pearls for the beans.
• Bring the water to a strong boil and add the dried tapioca pearls. Wait for the beans to float to the surface.
• When the tapioca floats to the surface, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes without a lid.
• After the 30 minutes are up, remove the pot from the heat and move it to a cooler surface. Let them sit for 30 minutes.
• Once this is done, drain the beans and rinse them under cold water to remove the starch.
• Taste your beans to make sure they are firm. If they are still firm, repeat the method again, but keep an eye on them, as the longer they are in the liquid, the softer they will become.
• Once your beans are ready, you can sweeten them with dark brown sugar. Stir in the sugar carefully and let it sit for 10 minutes.

How is tea prepared?

It is best to do this while the beans are brewing. The amount you will need depends on how you like your tea, how big your cup is, etc. For one serving, let's say 1 teaspoon of tea steeped in 100 ml of water. This tea should be strong, so it is recommended to let it steep for at least 10-15 minutes. Then, of course, it will need to be cold, so put it in the fridge while you wait for your beans to brew.

Once all the ingredients are ready, first put your tapioca in the glass with a few ice cubes. Then add the tea and finally fill the rest of the glass with the milk of your choice. And that's it! Delicious bubble tea! Don't forget to prepare a straw wide enough to suck up all the balls.

Simplified instructions:

1. Boil 10 cups of water for ½ cup of dried tapioca pearls.
2. Once the water boils, add the dry pearls and wait for them to float.
3. When the beans float, reduce the heat and let it simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
4. While the beans are cooking, prepare your tea. Let it steep for 15 minutes, then chill in the refrigerator.
5. After 30 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and move it to a cooler surface. Let the beans sit for 30 minutes.
6. Once the beans are ready, drain them and rinse them with cold water to remove the starch.
7. (Optional) Add dark brown sugar to the beans and let it sit for 10 minutes.
8. Fill the bottom of the glass with pearls and add some ice. Then add the tea (not too much), as you will top off the rest of the glass with the milk of your choice.
9. Enjoy!