Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Boba from Scratch for Your Favorite Drinks

You may have heard of ‘Cake Wars,’ or even ‘Bride Wars,’ but are you up to date with the ultimate beverage debate — Boba Vs. Coffee? Apologies tea drinkers, you don’t get to make the cut just as yet. It is a truly brutal fight to the finish, to be honest, with matcha leading the pack for every viral health trend, while coffee barely passes muster for a few. However, no one is as loyal a patron as the ever-evolving fan base of boba tea drinkers.

In case you’re wondering how boba tea became such a sensation, or even curious about how to make boba tea, a brief history of the beverage might help.

While coffee has been around for centuries, boba tea originated in Taiwan in the 1980s. This mixture of tea and milk with fruit, topped with tapioca pearls, was introduced in the United States sometime during the 90s. But today, it’s next to impossible to go to a major city and find a cafe that does not serve a tall glass of the aesthetically pleasing tea beverage. A lot of these cafes specialize in unique boba tea combinations that are either famous to the region or a popular variant made viral online.

So if you are wondering how to make boba tea at home, all you need to do is arrange for the following boba tea ingredients and you are all set.

Classic Brown Sugar Boba Tea: 

Ingredients for Basic Boba(Tapioca Pearls):

• 100 gm tapioca starch
• 50 ml boiling water
• 10 gm brown sugar or black food coloring

Ingredients for Brown Sugar Boba Syrup

• 100 gm brown sugar
• 50 ml water

Method:

1. Firstly, to prepare the tapioca dough, place the tapioca starch in a bowl.
2. Then, take a small saucepan, and bring the water to a boil. After this, you can add in the brown sugar.
3. Now, slowly pour the boiling water into the bowl with tapioca starch while stirring continuously. Mix it well until it forms a sticky dough.
4. After this, add the remaining tapioca starch gradually, kneading it constantly until a smooth, non-sticky dough is formed.
5. Roll the dough into a long, thin cylindrical log, about 0.5 cm in diameter.
6. Cut the log into small, equal pieces and roll each piece into a small ball.
7. Dust the tapioca pearls with some additional tapioca starch to prevent it from sticking.
8. To cook the tapioca pearls, bring a large pot of water to boil.
9. After this, add the tapioca pearls and stir gently to prevent them from sticking to each other.
10. Now, cook the pearls for 15-29 minutes until they float and become translucent, stirring occasionally.
11. Once done, turn off the heat and let the pearls sit in hot water for another 10 minutes.
12. Drain the pearls and rinse them under cold water to hinder the cooking process.
13. To make the brown sugar syrup, combine brown sugar and water in a saucepan.
14. Make sure you cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens slightly. This process should take about five to seven minutes.
15. Now, combine the boba and the syrup, by adding the cooked boba to the syrup, and let them simmer for about five minutes to absorb the flavor.
16. Serve the boba with your favorite milk tea, iced tea, or drink of choice.

Matcha Boba with Matcha Milk Tea:

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp matcha powder
• 50 ml hot water
• 200 ml milk (or milk alternative)
• 20 ml sugar syrup (adjust to taste)
• Cooked tapioca pearls (from the basic recipe above)

Method:

1. To prepare the matcha milk tea, first, you need to whisk the matcha powder with hot water in a small bowl until it is smooth and frothy.
2. Then, in a separate container, you need to mix the milk with sugar syrup. You can adjust the sweetness as per your taste.
3. Now, please add a generous amount of cooked pearls to the bottom of a glass to assemble your drink.
4. Pour the matcha mixture over the pearls, followed by the sweetened milk.
5. After this, stir the mixture gently to combine, and serve with ice if desired.

Honey Boba with Jasmine Tea:

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp jasmine tea leaves (or 1 jasmine tea bag)
• 200 ml hot water
• 30 ml honey
• Cooked tapioca pearls (from the basic recipe above)

Method:

1. Brew the jasmine tea by soaking the tea leaves in hot water for about three to five minutes, depending on your desired concentration.
2. Remove the tea leaves or tea bag and let the tea cool to room temperature.
3. To sweeten the tea, you can add honey to it, while the tea is still warm. This will allow the honey to dissolve completely. You can adjust the sweetness as per your taste.
4. Now, add the cooked tapioca pearls to a glass.
5. Pour the honey-sweetened jasmine tea over the pearls.

Serve with ice cubes for a refreshing drink.