DIY | Homemade Taro Bubble Tea (ENGLISH VERSION!)
23-09-2019

Hello Cherries! How nice that you have clicked on this new Do It Yourself from me. This is a very different DIY than you normally are used to from me, because it has absolutely nothing to do with beauty products or anything in this direction. It has to do with one of my favorite drinks ever called "Bubble Tea". I'm a real tea drinker and always choose it over coffee or any other hot drink, but Bubble Tea is a special tea that needs to be prepared in a special way. This is a cold tea that you can drink at home or easily take with you on the road.

 

What is Bubble Tea?

Bubble Tea is a tea drink that comes from Taiwan which is very popular in all Asian countries and America. It has also found a popularity among enthusiasts in the Netherlands. It started to develop in the 80s. It's a mix of very chilled or hot sweetened tea, milk and other flavors. The name stems from the fact that this tea must be shaken considerably, so that the bubbles arise. In the tea, tapioca pearls are often added as a small snack. In some variants, fruit pearls are added.

 

In this DIY I show you how you can make one of my favorite flavors. Of course I will come back with other favorites, but this is my number 1, called Taro bubble tea.

Tapioca pearls and taro powder are easy to find at the nearest Asian supermarket, but there are none in my area. So I'm forced to do it the expensive way which is ordering online. So if you want to spend less money with making homemade bubble tea, I recommend you to visit an Asian supermarket.

What do I need?

- Tapioca pearls or fruit pearls (this is a personal choice, but I recommend the tapioca pearls with this bubble tea)
- Taro powder
- Ice cubes (optional)
- Liquid honey or sugar syrup (this is a personal choice)
- Storage container
- Powder spoon
- 500ml plastic cup or a tall glass that can hold 500ml
- Cocktail shaker 530cc
- Special straw for bubble tea
- Stirring spoon
- A (steel) pan (which you only want to use for tapioca! XD)

To prepare
PAY ATTENTION! Fruit pearls do not have to be prepared! These can be added directly to bubble tea!

Making the tea milk is very easy, but the snack for in the tea needs a little time and more importantly your attention! It's very important to follow these steps carefully. Tapioca pearls must be well prepared, otherwise they may cause health problems (tapioca is known for being difficult to digest). The better they are prepared, the better you can enjoy this snack.

 

1. Take an old (steel)pan which you only want to use for cooking the tapioca pearls. (Trust me! It can be a mess if you don't do it right!)
2. Fill the (steel) pan with enough water and put it on high heat. Wait until the water boils well.
TIP! Don't you have patience like me? XD Pre-boil the water in a kettle.
3. Add a quantity of tapioca pearls and stir briefly so that they don't stick together.
4. Cook the pearls for 30 minutes. Keep stirring continuously so that the tapioca doesn't stick to the edges. | Do you use a regular pan? Then hold the lid on and stir every 5 minutes.
5. Remove the (steel)pan from the heat and pour the tapioca pearls into a strainer or colander. Rinse the pearls in cold water and allow them to cool. Do you use a regular pan? Turn off the heat and let the tapioca pearls stand in the water for half an hour. Then also drain and let them cool.
6. Take a container in which you would like to store the pearls. Add a small amount of water for step 7.
7. Tapioca pearls are viscous in themselves and have no taste. You can compare it to a gummy bear without taste. You can add flavor by adding sugar syrup or honey. My personal choice is liquid honey from meadow flowers, but every honey is good. Stir the pearls thoroughly in the container for the last time.

 

PAY ATTENTION! Prepared tapioca pearls must be stored at room temperature! These can be stored for up to 3 days!

What is Taro and what does it taste like?
Taro is a root vegetable from Southeast Asia. Taro is added to many dishes including soup, but also in bubble tea, this is a very popular taste and gives a purple color. The Taro Bubble Tea is actually the most popular of all Bubble teas. At the same time, the easiest to prepare of them all. Although this is a root vegetable, taro actually has a taste that you will not expect. Taro tastes very much like American cookies.

 

Preparation of Taro Bubble Tea (500ml)
1. Take a 500ml plastic cup or a tall glass.
2. Add a quantity of tapioca pearls to the plastic cup as desired.
3. Take a cocktail shaker and add 3 scoops of taro powder (1st photo).
4. Add 100ml of hot water to the powder.
5. Stir with a stirring spoon, until there are no more lumps (2nd photo).
6. Then add water until the cocktail shaker is almost full.
7. If you want to drink it really cold, you can add ice cubes.
8. Close the cocktail shaker and shake well.
9. Fill the 500ml plastic cup or glass with the tea.
10. Stir through the tea with the straw and it's ready to drink ^_^