Children and adults alike take delight in bubble teas. It is traditionally a milk-based tea with boba or tapioca pearls in it, making the experience of savouring it quite playful. Bubble tea has three layers to it: tapioca pearls at the bottom, on top of which a layer of crushed ice is put, and over that, cold milk tea is poured.
The tapioca pearls are the most important ingredient. They have to be boiled to the right consistency of chewy, and not too hard or too mushy and clumped together. To best enjoy bubble tea, sip it with a bigger straw than the regular ones, so that you can pull up the small tapioca pearls to chew on.
Bubble tea is a versatile beverage as it can be made in a variety of flavours, such as matcha green tea and Thai milk tea. Sometimes, instead of tea as the base drink, fruit juices and fizzy bubble tea versions are also made.
One such flavour that can be made at home, and that we recommend, is chilled coconut-vanilla bubble tea. It is an amalgamation of chilled coconut water, coconut milk, condensed milk, and a hint of vanilla extract. It is easy and quick to make. The preparation time is five minutes, and it takes about 20 minutes to 30 minutes to cook.
Bubbling Up History
Bubble Tea is said to have been invented in Taiwan, though there is debate over which exact region in the country. The exact date of origin is not known, but most say it was invented in the 1980s and became popular in America sometime around the 1990s. Bubble Tea is also known by different names, such as pearl milk tea, bubble milk tea, tapioca milk tea, boba tea, or boba. Apart from tapioca pearls, other toppings are used too, including different kinds of jelly and red beans. However, tapioca pearls are still, by and large, preferred in India. Bubble tea was introduced to India in the early 2000s, and has, over the last few years, become a trending beverage that is light to drink, but still satiates you.
Ingredients
• Tapioca pearls
• 1 cup chilled coconut water
• ½ vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon condensed milk
• Coconut milk
• Ice
Method
1. Boil a large pot of water.
2. While the water boils, add the tapioca pearls.
3. Put the stove on the sim, and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Slowly stir the tapioca pearls to ensure they don't stick to each other.
5. Once cooked, rinse the tapioca pearls in cold water, and keep aside.
6. In a tall glass, add tapioca pearls, coconut water, vanilla extract, and sweetened condensed milk.
7. Pour over coconut milk as per your taste.
8. Stir well and serve.
Coconut-vanilla bubble tea has several health benefits. For one, it is an energy booster and is lighter to drink. Also, the medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) in coconut are good to build endurance, its antimicrobial properties are effective for oral health, and it is also believed to help in losing weight.