Make Your Own Bubble Tea

Bubble tea is often seen as a trendy drink for teenagers or a lifestyle phenomenon. However, in modern Asian tea culture, this drink with its signature pearls has long secured its place. In countries like Taiwan, Japan, and China, bubble tea is an everyday delight. Here, we experienced a bubble tea boom, with new shops and creative flavors popping up everywhere. Did you know you can easily make this Taiwanese tea specialty at home? We'll show you what to pay attention to when making it yourself and share some great recipes.

The Essential Ingredients

When you walk into a bubble tea shop, you're greeted by a vast variety of flavors. But the main components are right in the name: "Bubble," referring to the pearls, and "Tea." We’ll guide you on crafting those unique textured pearls yourself and what’s important in preparing the delicious tea.

Finding the Perfect Tapioca Pearls

The signature "bubbles," or "boba" as they're called in Taiwan, are small spheres made from tapioca starch, derived from the cassava root. These tapioca pearls have a distinctive texture and can be customized with food coloring and flavors. While you could make the pearls from scratch, we recommend buying dried, flavor-neutral tapioca pearls. You can find these at well-stocked Asian supermarkets. Simply cook them in water as per the package instructions for a few minutes, and soon you'll have fresh boba pearls for homemade bubble tea.

Choosing the Right Tea: From Classic Black to Exotic Oolong

The most well-known bubble tea is the classic "Milk Tea". Essentially, it’s black tea with milk, and each bubble tea shop has its own blend and recipe. You’ll find our take on it below. The variety of teas available is reflected in the wide range of bubble tea variations. Popular options include exotic oolongs and fresh matcha. Fruity iced teas with unique flavors and milk teas with purple sweet potato, known as taro, are also traditional favorites in the world of bubble tea.

The Recipe for a Classic: Brown Sugar Milk Tea

With so many bubble tea flavors, it can be overwhelming. That’s why we’re introducing the all-time classic: Brown Sugar Milk Tea. This version combines a robust black tea blend with milk, creating a wonderfully creamy tea drink. The highlight is the tapioca pearls soaked in a rich, caramel sauce that adds a special touch. Served over ice, it becomes a refreshing and delicious drink you’re sure to love.

Preparing the Ingredients

Brown Sugar-Pearls

• Cook Tapioka Pearls: Prepare the dried tapioca pearls according to the package instructions, usually boiling them for 30-40 minutes. Drain and set them aside to cool.
• Make the Brown Sugar-Sirup:
  • Mix 100g of brown sugar with 100ml of water.
  • Boil the mixture over medium to high heat for about 3 minutes until you achieve a syrupy consistency.
  • Combine the cooked tapioca pearls with the brown sugar syrup so they absorb the caramel flavor, creating brown sugar boba.

Milk Tea

Every bubble tea shop has its own recipe, but here’s our version for that authentic taste:

• 4 g Assam like our NANDANA: For a strong aromatic base.
• 1 g Ceylon: Adds malty notes.
• 1 g Oolong like our FOUR SEASONS OF SPRING: The floral notes give the blend a unique aromatic complexity.

Milk-Tea Preparation:

• Pour 220ml of hot water over the tea blend.
• Let the tea steep for 15 minutes to create a highly concentrated brew.
• Adjust sweetness to your preference after steeping.
• Add the milk of your choice cow milk or soy milk are popular options for classic bubble tea.

You can now serve the prepared milk tea alongside the freshly made brown sugar bobas in a large glass and enjoy it as bubble tea!

Mix & Enjoy

When it comes to bubble tea, taste is paramount—it’s that tempting, sweet, and creamy indulgence. But it’s also a visual treat, especially the beautiful color gradients, known as ombré effects, that result from carefully layering the ingredients. Start with the tapioca pearls, ensuring there’s enough brown sugar syrup to cover the bottom of the glass. Add ice cubes, pour the milk tea over them, and finish with additional boba pearls. This effect is especially striking with the grassy-green matcha tea or the purple taro tea, made from Japanese sweet potatoes. Stir it with a straw and watch the different layers blend into one delicious beverage.

How Long Are Tapioca Pearls Good For?

Once cooked, tapioca pearls should be used on the same day. If you end up preparing more than you need for your bubble tea, you can top yogurt, oatmeal, or other desserts with them. The advantage of dried tapioca pearls from the Asian market is that they can be stored for several months. This way, you always have fresh bobas on hand whenever you want them.

Bubble Tea Reimagined: Creative Recipes

Our tastes are always on a journey of discovery, and creativity knows no bounds. New bubble tea trends regularly emerge, waiting to be explored by adventurous palates. We’ll introduce you to various bubble tea variations and how you can make them at home.

Fruity Additions: Experimenting with Fresh Fruits

The classic milk tea can be wonderfully enhanced with various fruits. Why not try a version with mango or strawberry? To do this, prepare a puree by simmering fresh fruit with a little sugar over low to medium heat for a few minutes. Then, you can either blend it to a smooth consistency or keep it chunky. You can either stir this puree directly into the black tea milk mixture or layer it over the boba pearls to create a lovely ombré effect.

Unusual Combinations: Savory Meets Sweet

Ever tried a chai latte bubble tea? The delicious tapioca pearls can be perfectly combined with the Indian tea specialty. The brown sugar pearls harmonize beautifully with the spicy kick of chai. Matcha Latte is another popular bubble tea variant.

Matcha Bubble Tea

For this popular bubble tea, start with a few spoonfuls of brown sugar bobas in a glass and top with ice cubes. Fill the glass with your preferred milk, such as cow’s milk, oat milk, or soy milk. The finishing touch is an intense matcha infusion: Use a teaspoon of matcha powder like our famous SHINTO MATCHA, mix it with 45ml of warm water (around 75°C), and carefully pour it over the milk for a stunning color gradient.

Did you know...?

Bubble tea is the trendy drink of the moment, popular worldwide, not just in East Asia. However, its journey to becoming a cult favorite in the west, especially in Germany, was initially rocky. The first bubble tea shops opened in Germany in the early 2010s. While initially popular with teenagers, it also attracted skepticism. Unsubstantiated claims that it contained harmful ingredients damaged its reputation. Although these accusations were never proven and were likely due to skepticism towards new, unfamiliar foods, they left a mark, leading to many bubble tea shops closing at the time. In recent years, Taiwan's national drink has made a comeback, particularly thanks to young people enthused by East Asian cultures and food trends. They bring a modern tea culture closer to long-standing tea lovers. Since then, rumors about bubble tea have been debunked, and we can enjoy the diversity of culinary cultures.

Bubble Tea: A Worldwide Phenomenon

Originating in the 1980s, bubble tea is now considered Taiwan's national drink. It's safe to say it's a global phenomenon, with bubble tea enthusiasts worldwide. The origins of bubble tea are surrounded by a few stories, and no one is quite sure who invented this iconic drink. Tapioca pearls are a staple in East Asian cuisine and often used in desserts, so it made sense to combine them with sweet, milky tea. The unique tea creation was born this way. Some people love the texture of the tapioca pearls, while others appreciate the creamy, milky tea flavor. Yet it’s the harmonious balance of both with every sip that offers the unparalleled taste experience that has made bubble tea a worldwide phenomenon.