One of my absolute favorite treats, no matter what time of day, is boba (bubble tea). Speaking of “no matter what time of day”, this craving can sometimes be pretty costly for me – I’m talking about DoorDashing boba to my house at 10:00pm, and no, I’m not ashamed about it.
I realize it’s not a great investment to be spending $20 on boba delivery multiple times a week, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. Since I typically frequent the Asian grocery store on a weekly basis, I was happy to step into an aisle filled with a plethora of options for making boba at home – from fresh tapioca pearls, to dry options and even pre-made frozen mixes, there is quite literally an option for any boba lover, no matter your time or skillset.
If you don’t have an Asian grocery store close to you, you can get the exact packet of dry brown sugar tapioca pearls that I use from Amazon (click here!). If you are looking for a more instant solution, check out online storefronts like Weee! and Yami.
Okay, so I told myself I wouldn’t be the type of person who adds history snippets to food, but I can’t help it – I love the hot goss. Also, I found a wonderful fact about boba as quoted from Food & Wine that I think all can enjoy:
“The tea became known as boba because the term is slang for breasts in Chinese (a reference to the spherical shape of the tapioca balls).”
– Food & Wine Magazine, 2017
Lavender Milk Tea Boba
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Tapioca Pearls (dry)
- 5 cups Water
- 2 tbsp Honey (or sugar)
- 1 packet Green Tea (or other tea of choice)
- 2 tbsp Lavender Syrup (amount to taste)
- 1/4 cup Almond Milk (or milk of choice)
Instructions
- Bring water to a slow boil over medium high heat.
- Meanwhile, boil a teapot of water for your green tea. Pour boiling teapot water into a mug and steep tea for 3-5 minutes before chilling over a cup of ice. Stir in 3-5 tsp of lavender syrup and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Once the water in your pot is boiling, add tapioca pearls and stir gently.
- Once tapioca pearls float to the surface, reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Then, add a lid to your pot and turn off heat. Let simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
- Scoop tapioca pearls from water and let sit in a bowl of cold water for 20-30 seconds. Drain, then add to a dry bowl and mix in sugar or honey, if desired.
- Add tapioca pearls to a glass of ice, then add iced tea and top with a splash of almond milk.
Watch my video on how to make this recipe by clicking here.
