There are lots of delicious flavors of bubble tea to choose from. Taro, matcha, or black sesame tea with fruit or caramel-flavored popping boba are just a few of the endless possibilities. But the simplest, most classic, and arguably best version of bubble tea is milk tea with tapioca pearls. Here’s how to make the perfect milk tea for your boba.
Bubble tea originated in Taiwan in the 1980s in a tea shop with a very creative owner. It has since gained massive popularity all over the world, spreading fairly quickly for such a new drink.
For milk tea, you may use any type of black tea that you like–but it does need to be black tea and not herbal or green tea. If you’re in doubt, the best kinds to try first are “plain” black tea, English breakfast, or Earl Grey. Brew a cup of tea slightly stronger than you normally would or according to instructions on the box, then let it sit for a while to cool down. You can put it in the fridge if you’re in a rush to speed up the cooling.
Next, take a quarter of a cup of milk and pour it over ice in a second glass. Pour in your cooled tea, and mix to cool off and combine the entire mixture. If you have a cocktail shaker, combine the ice, milk, and tea in that instead of a glass and shake. Finally, sweeten with sugar syrup.
