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93% would make again

Taiwanese Bubble Tea

featured in Delicious Asian Drinks

Craving bubble tea but don’t want to keep spending so much money on it? Making your own is really easy — and much more customizable. You can buy tapioca pearls or boba from Walmart or Amazon (or your local Taiwanese store) then make the tea with a blend of your favorite black tea, sweetener, and half and half or non-dairy substitute. Just add ice and a wide straw, and you can have your favorite treat anytime!

Frank Tiu
Tasty Team

Ingredients

for 2 servings

Black Tea

  • 2 cups water (480 g)
  • 6 black tea bags

Tapioca Pearls and Brown Sugar Syrup

  • ½ cup medium black tapioca pearls (50 g)
  • 2 cups brown sugar (440 g)
  • 1 cup hot water (240 mL)

Assembly

  • ½ cup tapioca pearls (50 g), cooked
  • ½ cup ice (30 g)
  • brown sugar syrup, to taste
  • 1 cup black tea (240 mL), chilled
  • ¼ cup half & half (60 mL)

Special Equipment

  • 2 wide-opening straws

Preparation

  1. In a medium pot over high heat, combine the water and tea bags. Bring to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat and let the tea cool to room temperature.
  2. Bring a medium pot of water to boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, add the tapioca pearls and boil until softened, about 20 minutes.
  3. Drain the pearls through a strainer.
  4. Set the strainer with the pearls over a medium bowl. Add the brown sugar to the strainer and pour the hot water over.
  5. Stir to dissolve the brown sugar. Soak the pearls in brown sugar syrup for 30 minutes, then store the bubbles and syrup separately until ready to serve.
  6. Assemble the tea: Divide the pearls and ice between 2 glasses, then add the brown sugar syrup, tea, and half and half.
  7. Stir with a wide-opening straw, then serve.
  8. Enjoy!

Ingredients

for 2 servings

Black Tea

  • 2 cups water (480 g)
  • 6 black tea bags

Tapioca Pearls and Brown Sugar Syrup

  • ½ cup medium black tapioca pearls (50 g)
  • 2 cups brown sugar (440 g)
  • 1 cup hot water (240 mL)

Assembly

  • ½ cup tapioca pearls (50 g), cooked
  • ½ cup ice (30 g)
  • brown sugar syrup, to taste
  • 1 cup black tea (240 mL), chilled
  • ¼ cup half & half (60 mL)

Special Equipment

  • 2 wide-opening straws

Preparation

  1. In a medium pot over high heat, combine the water and tea bags. Bring to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat and let the tea cool to room temperature.
  2. Bring a medium pot of water to boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, add the tapioca pearls and boil until softened, about 20 minutes.
  3. Drain the pearls through a strainer.
  4. Set the strainer with the pearls over a medium bowl. Add the brown sugar to the strainer and pour the hot water over.
  5. Stir to dissolve the brown sugar. Soak the pearls in brown sugar syrup for 30 minutes, then store the bubbles and syrup separately until ready to serve.
  6. Assemble the tea: Divide the pearls and ice between 2 glasses, then add the brown sugar syrup, tea, and half and half.
  7. Stir with a wide-opening straw, then serve.
  8. Enjoy!

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