Kitchen Recipe Collection
Pearl Milk Tea (Boba)
The global phenomenon from Taiwan. A refreshing, creamy, sweet iced black tea filled with chewy, caramelized tapioca pearls.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- easy
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 2 servings
- 1/2 cup dry black tapioca pearls (Boba), quick-cooking variety
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup water (for syrup)
- 2 tbsp loose leaf black tea (Assam or Ceylon), or 3 tea bags
- 2 cups boiling water (for tea)
- 1/2 cup whole milk or half-and-half
- Ice cubes
Equipment
- Large pot
- Wide boba straws
Instructions
- 1
Brew Tea
Steep the black tea in 2 cups of boiling water for 5 minutes. You want the tea to be very strong because it will be diluted with milk and ice. Strain and let cool.
- 2
Boil Water
Bring a large pot with at least 6 cups of water to a rolling boil. (Boba needs lots of water to prevent sticking).
- 3
Cook Boba
Add the dry tapioca pearls. Stir immediately so they don't stick to the bottom.
- 4
Simmer
Once they float to the top, reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook according to package directions (usually 5-10 minutes for quick-cooking).
- 5
Rest
Turn off the heat, keep covered, and let them sit in the hot water for another 5 minutes to become perfectly chewy.
- 6
Make Syrup
In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar and 1/4 cup water. Heat until the sugar dissolves into a thick, dark syrup.
- 7
Drain Boba
Drain the cooked boba pearls and rinse them briefly under cold water.
- 8
Glaze Boba
Toss the warm boba into the brown sugar syrup. Let them steep in the syrup for at least 15 minutes to absorb the sweetness and get glossy.
- 9
Assemble Drink
Spoon a generous amount of the glazed boba and some of the syrup into the bottom of two tall glasses.
- 10
Add Ice
Fill the glasses 2/3 full with ice cubes.
- 11
Pour Tea and Milk
Pour in the cooled strong black tea, followed by the milk.
- 12
Serve
Serve with a wide boba straw. Stir vigorously before drinking so the brown sugar syrup mixes with the milk.
Cooking Tips
- Boba is best consumed within 4 hours of cooking. If refrigerated, the tapioca starch hardens and becomes unpleasant.
- The texture of the pearl is called 'Q' or 'QQ' in Taiwan, meaning perfectly chewy, bouncy, and elastic.
Variations
- Brown Sugar Milk (Tiger Sugar): Omit the tea entirely. Just coat the glass with thick brown sugar syrup, add boba, and top with cold milk.
Nutrition Estimate
320 calories · 4g protein · 65g carbs · 5g fat · 0g fiber per serving
