Bubble tea and I go way back to my childhood. I crave it all the time. When I lived in New York, I had easy access to bubble tea. I could get bubble tea on my way home to Brooklyn, on my way to meet friends in Manhattan, or on my way to visit my brother, Peter and sister-in-law, Steph in Queens. I am a huge fan of using green tea and black tea for my bubble tea, but I am also open to pretty much any type of tea. My favorite bubble tea spot to frequent when I visit my family in New York is Kung Fu Tea. I would order my usual bubble milk black tea or bubble milk green tea and sip on it while I stroll down the local streets in Brooklyn. Back in high school, I used to go to Quickly with my close friends, Ada, and Colleen, to get my fix of bubble tea. I had the best memories of catching up with friends over bubble tea. Bubble tea only cost $2 back then, but now, the prices have risen and most bubble tea drinks cost nearly $5. I consider it a luxury, but sometimes I can’t help but to give in to my craving and purchase a cup of bubble tea. I seem to find a go-to bubble tea place in every city I’ve lived in. In Michigan, I went to Momo Tea and Bubble Island all the time. In Chicago, I often went to Bee & Tea and Joy Yee’s to get my bubble tea fix. When I moved to Ohio, it became much more difficult to find a nearby bubble tea place as my go-to bubble tea place. Instead of purchasing bubble tea, I started making my own. I would buy packages of tapioca pearls during my visits to New York and bring them back with me to Ohio. During my last trip back to Brooklyn, I stocked up on two packages of tapioca pearls so I could make my own bubble tea whenever I had a craving for it. The tapioca pearls came in handy on those days when I just need my bubble tea fix. I would boil some water to cook the tapioca pearls, brew some tea, and open up a can of coconut milk to mix into my drink. In under 15 minutes, I had my own cup of bubble tea waiting for me to sip on. I just wish I had one of those wide straws to sip up all of the bubbles in my bubble tea.
Coconut Milk Bubble Tea:
· ¼ cup tapioca pearls
· 2 black tea or green tea bags
· 8 ounces hot water
· 1-2 tablespoons of honey
· ½ can coconut milk
Directions:
1) Cook the tapioca pearls according to the instructions on the package. While the tapioca pearls are cooking, boil water in a kettle, pot, or vessel of your choice. Once water starts to boil, add two tea bags. Steep the tea according to the instructions on the tea bags. Add honey. Stir in half a can of coconut milk.
2) Pour the tea into a large glass or two smaller glasses. Add the cooked tapioca pearls. Serve with a straw and large spoon or a wide straw, if you have one.
Takeaways: Bubble tea can be made with any tea, milk, or sweetener of your choice. I’ve used evaporated milk, condensed milk, and alternative milks. Some of my favorite combinations include green tea and passion fruit, green or black tea and strawberry, or just black tea and milk.