When in doubt, make bubble tea. That’s the saying, isn’t it?
No?
Well, I’m making it one.
At the weekend, my sister and I decided to make bubble tea because, well, we’re in lockdown and quickly running out of fun things to eat and drink when we don’t live in or near a city. We both loved bubble tea as kids and teenagers; it’d be a treat to pick up a bubble tea each before coming home from family dim sum on Sundays. We hadn’t made our own in years, and if lockdown 1.0 was about Dalgona coffee, lockdown 2.0 was about festive hot chocolates, it was certainly time for a classic bubble tea to shine.
Here’s how we made our simple vegan bubble tea in under an hour, at home…
Ingredients
- Assam teabag
- Tapioca pearls
- Brown sugar
- Hemp milk
- Ice cubes
Method
- Start by preparing your tapioca pearls. Pop them in a saucepan with boiling hot water, and cook for 45 minutes or until the pearls are blackened and soft.
- Leave to stand for 8-15 minutes, depending on how soft you prefer them.
- Make your tea. Steep an Assam teabag in just-boiled water for 5 minutes, and add two teaspoons of sugar. Around half a mug is about right as this should be a strong, sweet tea flavour.
- Prepare a mixing bowl with half a cup of hot water and half a cup of brown sugar.
- Drain the pearls in a colander, and run through cold water.
- Pour your tapioca pearls into the hot water and sugar, and steep for a few minutes.
- Assemble in a glass or reusable tumbler: ice cubes, tea, pearls and a splash of hemp milk.
Are you a bubble tea fan? Let me know if you make yours at home!