How to Make Bubble Tea

Serves: 1

Preparation time: 5 mins + 30 mins (inactive time)

Cooking time: 25 mins

Ingredients needed to make bubble tea:

• ¼ cup dried tapioca pearls, avoid the quick cooking variety
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 teabags. Black tea variety
• ½ cup water
• Milk, as required

Cooking instructions for bubble tea:

• To cook the pearls, add the tapioca pearls into saucepan and empty 2 cups of water into it.
• Bring them to a boil over high flame, while stirring the pearls until they pop up on the surface of the water.
• Lower the heat to moderate and continue to cook them for about 12-15 minutes before turning off the heat.
• Cover and let it rest for another 15 minutes; drain and transfer them to a small container.
• Discard the tapioca-cooked water and pour ½ cup fresh water into the saucepan.
• Add sugar and heat the mixture over high heat until it starts boiling.
• Lower the heat and continue to cook the mixture until the sugar dissolves and forms a semi thick syrup; set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Bring a cup of water to boil and turn off the heat.
• Drop the teabag into it, cover and leave it aside for about 15 minutes to get a robust-flavored tea.
• Pour the tea into a bowl and leave it in the fridge to chill.
• Bathe the gummy tapioca pearls with the sugar syrup until the former is completely immersed in the liquid.
• Transfer the steeped tea into a tall glass and stir in the pearls.
• Pour lots of milk into the bubble tea and add small amount of water to dilute it a bit. Sweetened condensed milk can be also be added to make it creamier.
• Pour in more syrup if you like it sweeter and stir them all together until properly blended.
• Leave the tea in the refrigerator to chill.
• Insert a long, thick straw into the glass of bubble tea and serve chilled.
• If you like it fruity, feel free to replace milk with juice or nectar of your favorite fruit.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons