bubble tea made at home!

Bubble tea is a delicious and refreshing sweet beverage. It's a bit time-consuming to make but very, VERY rewarding! (Especially since Bubble Tea can be expensive and hard to find in some areas.) You only need a few ingredients, most of which you'll probably have on hand without having to go shopping. The Tapioca (Boba) pearls, however, might be a bit difficult to find. I picked these up at my local Asian Market, they were only about $2.50.

Here's what you'll need:

You can begin by pouring some sugar and some water into a small saucepan. Bring this water to a boil and add in your Tapioca. Boil it all together for 25 minutes.

While your Tapioca is boiling, you can begin to make your tea. I used a loose leaf spiced chai made by some friends of the family. (Cardamom and Curry, check them out!) You can use whatever your favorite tea is. If you like a fruitier flavor, you can try a Passion Fruit tea or a Green Tea with Mango. Prepare your tea like you would any other day. Add sugar and/or honey to taste while the tea is still hot. Put it in the refrigerator for some chill time.

After the Tapioca is done boiling, keep it covered on a low heat for 35-50 more minutes. Check it and stir every once in a while to make sure that it doesn't stick to the bottom/side of the pan. You may also need to add more water, just keep an eye on it. If the pearls are soft all the way through, they are done. Drain, rinse, drain again, rinse some more, and drain one last time. Refrigerate them also.

After the pearls and the tea are completely chilled, take them out again, along with your choice of milk. Pour the Tapioca into the tea (you may not need them all, so you can store the rest and cut down on the prep time for your next batch!) Add the milk and enjoy!

It won't taste EXACTLY like restaurant-bought Bubble Tea, but it'll certainly get the job done. If you don't get it the first time, play around with the amount of sugar that you use, the amount of Boba, the flavor of tea, etc. to make it perfect for you! Share your own recipes and variations in the comment space below, I'd love to hear them!

xo, e.m.