Boba Milk Tea with Black Sugar Syrup

中文菜谱：

黑糖鲜奶茶

Yes, we Asian people are totally obsessed with tea, milk tea and boba milk tea. Don’t get me start by counting the milk tea café on the streets in any big cities in China.  Chances are they might outnumber coffee shops and bars combined.

Tea choices in these cafes don’t always stay the same.  There are some hot trends once in a while.  For example, currently milk tea with black sugar syrup is more popular than other ones.

When I am too lazy to drive to China town, I DIY my own milk tea at home.  Trust me; it is so simple that even my husband can manage it! O(∩_∩)O~

The one from above is icy cold version.  And the one following is hot tea version.

For the tea：

10 g black tea leaves/ or 2 black tea bags
4 to 6 cups of water (or adjust water amount to taste)   

For black sugar syrup：

1/2 cup black sugar/ or really dark brown cane sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons water  

Other ingredients：

Black tapioca pearls (sold in any Asian grocery stores)
whole milk
water for cooking tapioca pearls

Directions：

Add black tea leaves to a French press  

Boil the water.  Remove from heat and let it to cool down for a couple minutes to probably around 195F/90C

Add water to the French press.

Add black sugar and water to a small thick sauce pan.  Cook over medium low heat until the mixture becomes syrupy.

It is really dark brown cane sugar and tastes like what we had back in childhood.

Cook the black tapioca pearls according to the directions on the package.  Cook in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove from heat, cover with lid and leave the tapioca balls in hot water for another 2 to 3 minutes. 

Rinse tapioca pearls and drain well.  Add to a small bowl along with 2 to 3 teaspoons black sugar syrup.  Mix well with a spoon.

Spoon the tapioca pearls to a tall glass.  Add more syrup if desired.

Frother 1/2 cup whole milk with the steam wand from an espresso machine

Add black tea to the glass, and then frothered milk.  Drizzle some syrup on the top.

Refrigerate any leftover black tea. 

To make the icy cold version, add freshly cooked tapioca pearls, black sugar syrup, ice cubes, milk.  Stir with a jumbo straw for boba

Add black tea and ice cubes.

Add milk

Stir and serve.  It is such a nice treat in a hot summer day！O(∩_∩)O~

Taro and Sweet Potato Tapioca Balls on Shaved Ice

中文菜谱：

芋圆薏米红豆刨冰

Shaved ice has been popular among Asian people for many years.  In early time, ice was just simply finely crushed by machine.  Nowadays, if you stop by China town, you will be amazed by how thin and creamy the shaved ice is.  And as for the toppings, wow, they are almost endless! O(∩_∩)O~   The most popular ones are but not limited to taro tapioca balls, sweet potato tapioca balls, red beans, lotus seeds, pearl barleys, strawberry, blueberry, mango, and mochi.  

I do my own shaved ice when I don’t want to drive all the way to China town but still crave for it.  It is easy.  And I always make a large batch and freeze the extra taro and sweet potato tapioca balls for later use. 

I make taro and sweet potato tapioca balls, red beans, and pearl barley. 

Ingredients：

Taro puree
yellow sweet potato puree
white sweet potato puree
purple sweet potato puree
tapioca starch
red beans
dark brown cane sugar
pearl barley
honey
water
1 to 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

Directions：

I steam 3 kinds of sweet potatoes and taro.  Peel and finely smash them into puree.  Add a little bit water if needed.

Add tapioca starch when the puree is still hot to touch.  Knead separately in different bowls.

Transfer dough balls to a slightly dusted large wooden board. Divide each dough ball into smaller pieces. 

Roll out each dough piece into thin and long strands, about 1/3 inch in diameter.

With a dough scraper, cut each stands into 1/3 inch pieces.

Add pearl barleys and water to a small pot.  Cook over medium heat until barleys are soft.  Remove from heat, and stir in 2 tablespoons honey.

Add red beans and water to another small pot.  Cook over medium heat until red beans are soft and tender.  Remove from heat and stir in dark brown cane sugar.

Cook taro and sweet potato tapioca balls in boiling water until they float to the surface. 

Rinse the tapioca balls quickly to get rid of excessive starch on the outside so that they won’t stick together.

Now it is time to shave some ice!

I have this snow cone machine for almost 6 years, still up and running O(∩_∩)O~

Add ice

Turn on the machine

It is done.  The machine does a pretty good job.

Scoope shaved ice into a cup

Add cooked taro and sweet potato tapioca balls.

Add cooked pearl barley, red beans and then drizzle with condensed milk.

Use a spoon to mix everything and have a big bite! O(∩_∩)O~

Taro and sweet potato tapioca balls are slightly chewy and springy, which makes them so good.  Pearl barleys and red beans have different texture and taste.  When everything is mixed together, it is just such a great treat!

Who doesn’t want a cup of this icy sweet treat during a hot summer day?

There is one thing to keep in mind.  Tapioca balls will get hard after they are mixed with ice.  So don’t let it sit too long before you enjoy once it is ready to eat.

Freeze the extra taro and sweet potato tapioca balls.  Store in an air-tight Ziploc bag and they should be good for up to 3 months in the freezer.

Bubble Milk Tea with Condensed Milk

中文菜谱：炼乳珍珠奶茶

Boba/ bubble milk tea is so widely popular in Asian countries that you can find hundreds of tea houses in big cities.  I notice that they are getting popular here in USA too.  More and more tea stores are opening and more cafes begin to serve milk tea too.

Ingredients：

250 ml water
8 to 12 g black tea leaves
60 ml milk
2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
black tapioca pearls (available in most Asian grocery stores)
1/4 teaspoon honey
ice cubes

Directions：

Boil the black tapioca pearls according to the directions on its package.

Rinse cooked black tapioca pearls under running water for 5 seconds.  Drain well.  Transfer to a tall glass. Add honey; mix well.

My friend sends me some good black tea which she brought back from China. 

In another small stainless steel pot, add water.  Cook over medium high heat until it reaches about 90C.  Add black tea leaves and let it soak for 5 minutes.  Do not cook water until it boils.  If the water boils, it is too hot for make good tea.  Just allow it to cook down a couple minutes before adding black tea. 

Drain the tea.  Discard tea leaves.  Measure 150 ml black tea.  Set the rest aside.

Add about 1 cup of ice cubes and sweetened condensed milk to a shaker

Add 150ml black tea along with milk

 If you prefer stronger tea flavor, use a little bit more tea.

Cover with lid.  Shake vigorously for a slow count of 20.

See the thick milk foams over the top?  That is why we call it bubble milk tea O(∩_∩)O~

Pour into the glass.  Now you have a beautiful glass of bubble milk tea. 

Sweetened condensed milk can also be substituted with syrup.  I personally prefer condensed milk for its rich flavor.