Bubble tea (also known as pearl milk tea, boba milk tea, or simply boba) is a Taiwanese drink that was invented in Taichung in the 1980s. Typically, tea is mixed with milk or fruits and topped off with chewy tapioca balls (bubbles, boba, pearls).

You can make also classic tea or slush, milk tea or punch—and more. All drinks can be customized in three steps: Topping Level, Sugar Level, and Ice Level. Toppings range from bubbles and popping bubbles to different types of beans and jellies

Bubble Tea is the name given to the wide variety of refreshing flavoured fruit teas and milk teas served ice cold or piping hot with chewy tapioca balls that you suck up through a big fat straw! Yum – It’s like a quirky snack and drink in one!

8 bags of black tea
4 cups just boiled water
3/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca pearls
whole milk to serve (or your choice of milk)
simple syrup to serve (or your choice of sweetener)

For the Simple Syrup

1 cup water
1 cup sugar

1) Prepare the tea: Steep the tea bags with 4 cups of just boiled water. Let the tea sit until it reaches room temperature. There’s no need to remove the tea bags from the water as the tea is steeping. You can stick the tea in the fridge to speed up the cooling process.

2) Prepare the simple syrup (if using): Add the water to a saucepan and heat the water until it starts to simmer. Add the sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove the saucepan from heat and let the simple syrup cool before transferring to a jar.
Cook the tapioca pearls: Bring about 4 cups of water to boil and add the tapioca pearls. Stir the pearls and let them cook for about 5 minutes. The pearls should have floated to the top by now. Drain and rinse the pearls under cold water. Transfer them to a bowl.

3) Assemble the drinks: Divide the cooked tapioca pearls into 4 large glasses. Next, add a few ice cubes to each glass. Pour 1 cup of the tea into each glass. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of milk and 1 1/2 tablespoons of simple syrup into each glass. Stir and taste the milk tea. Add more milk or simple syrup to your taste. If you are serving the beverage to guests, have a small pitcher of milk and jar of simple syrup ready so that they can adjust the drink to their taste. The drink is usually served with large boba straws (large enough for the tapioca pearls to go through). If you don’t have the straws on hand, you can use spoons to scoop out the tapioca pearls.