🧋 BUBBLE (BOBA) TEA

June 21, 2021

🧋 B O B A T E A 🧋

With Salt Cedar Honey

Boba tea, also known as pearl milk tea or bubble milk tea, is a tea-based drink that originates from Taiwan. It most commonly consists of tea accompanied by chewy tapioca balls. This milky-tea drink has gained popularity in recent years, and there's a reason for it! It is completely one of a kind, tastes creamy and slightly sweet, and gives you a boost of caffeine. This boba recipe is balanced with deep, smooth black tea and our Salt Cedar Honey, giving your milk tea a touch of hickory and citrus undertones.

INGREDIENTS: BOBA (TAPIOCA) PEARLS

⅓ cup water, plus more as needed
¼ cup brown sugar
¾ cup tapioca flour, plus more for dusting

(You can also purchase pre-made tapioca pearls at Asian markets or online.)

INGREDIENTS: BLACK TEA MILK MIXTURE

2 cups water
6 tsp. OBTC South Indian Black Tea
3 tbsp. half & half
3 tbsp. sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp. OBTC Salt Cedar Honey
3 cups ice, divided

INSTRUCTIONS: BOBA PEARLS

Make the boba pearls: Add the water and brown sugar to a medium pan, over medium-high heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil. Add a bit of the tapioca flour, and stir until smooth. Add half of the remaining tapioca flour, and stir constantly until a sticky dough forms. Turn off the heat and add the remaining tapioca flour. Stir until the dough comes together in a ball (not all of the flour will be incorporated at this stage). Let cool slightly.
Spread the dough out onto a clean surface and knead until all of the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth, adding more flour or water as needed, if the dough is too sticky or too dry.
Divide and roll the dough into long, thin ropes about ¼-inch thick, then cut the ropes into small ¼-inch pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place in a bowl with a bit of tapioca flour. Dust the balls with the flour to prevent them from sticking to each other.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Shake off any excess flour from the tapioca pearls, then add to the boiling water. Stir to separate the pearls, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, until cooked through.
Once the pearls are cooked, drain and rinse with cold water, set aside.

FOR THE MILK TEA:

Bring water to a soft boil in a medium pot, remove the pan from the heat and steep the South Indian Black Tea for 5 minutes. Stir in Salt Cedar honey until dissolved and let the tea cool to room temperature.
Make the milk mixture: In a small bowl whisk together the half-and-half and sweetened condensed milk until combined.
Assemble the boba milk tea: Add about ⅓ cup boba pearls to the bottom of each glass (2 servings). Top with 1½ cups ice, then add ½ cup of the black tea and 3 tablespoons of the milk mixture. Stir with a wide-opening straw, then serve.
Optional: Before adding tea-milk mixture and ice, drip Salt Cedar Honey down the inside of your glass for extra sweetness and appearance.

THE TOOLS YOU NEED TO GET STARTED:

South Indian Black