Bubble tea is a fun thing to make at home in the summer; it’s perfect for when you want a treat but nothing too sweet or heavy. You can buy the tapioca pearls at most Asian grocery stores, and can oftentimes even find the wide straws to slurp up the “bubbles.” The straws and tapioca pearls can also be ordered online… the straws are sort of a must to fully enjoy/participate in the experience.
Typical bubble teas are often flavored with fruits, and powdered mixes. We like to make ours with fresh herbs.
Preparation: the best homemade bubble tea has 3-4 components.
Tapioca Pearls
Iced Tea
Herby Sugar Syrup
Milk- this is optional depending on your taste and what sort of tea you choose, but it’s best to use nut or soy milk to keep it light and refreshing.
Preparing the tapioca pearls:
This is simple. You can add ½ cup of large tapioca pearls to boiling water and let cook for 5 minutes. However, the tapioca can be a little bland- to remedy this, we add a bit of sweetener (like agave syrup) and fresh herb leaves (like sage) to the water- this infuses the pearls with a hint of flavor.
For the tea:
Follow simple iced tea making instructions with green tea, or black tea and fresh herb of your choice
For the syrup:
Cook together 2 parts water to 1 part sugar along with a sprig of fresh herbs: lavender, sage, oregano, rosemary and mint are a few suggestions… but the possibilities really are endless.
Putting it all together:
Put the tapioca pearls in the bottom of your glass with slotted spoon, add a few spoonfuls of your sugar syrup and then pour in your iced tea. Add a little ice (the tapioca will still be a little warm) and a dash of your milk product of choice. Stir with your wide straw and enjoy!
