Popular in Asia for decades, bubble tea is the new trend drink par excellence in Europe. Bubble tea is experiencing a real renaissance in Europe, which is reflected not least in the opening of numerous new bubble tea shops. The sweet tea is particularly popular among young people - and rightly so, as the trendy drink is very diverse and tastes simply heavenly. But you don't necessarily have to go to a boba shop to enjoy bubble tea - the drink can also be made easily and inexpensively at home. We'll show you how!
Bubble tea: how to make the trendy drink
The history of bubble tea
Bubble tea, also known internationally as pearl milk tea or boba, is a Taiwanese drink based on sweetened green or black tea, which is often flavoured with milk and syrup. The speciality of the tea drink is not actually the tea itself, but the small tapioca pearls (balls of tapioca starch) or popping bobas (balls with a liquid filling that burst when bitten into).
This type of tea was invented in Taiwan in the mid-1980s. The original drink did not contain tapioca pearls at first, but only syrup or fruit puree and was sold by street vendors, mainly to children and young people. Tapioca balls were added some time later. In the 1990s, bubble tea became a trend drink in Asia and the USA. It was only 20 years later that the trend seemed to have arrived in Europe. However, a short time later, in 2013, the hype declined again as scientists published a warning that the consumption of bubble tea led to an increased risk of cancer.
However, this was refuted a year later by experts from the Ministry of Consumer Protection. The stigma persisted for a few more years until 2019, when the number of sales outlets across Europe increased again and more and more people wanted to enjoy bubble tea again. The trend is still going strong today and continues to grow, as the drink is more popular than ever before and is now available in a wide variety of flavours.
Make your own bubble tea: here's how
Matcha Vanilla Bubble Tea
Ingredients for 6 portions:
- 1 bourbon vanilla pod
- 50 g tapioca pearls (from the Asian shop)
- ½ litre rice, oat or soy drink
- 2 tsp matcha powder
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 handfuls of crushed ice or ice cubes
- Wide boba straws
Preparation:
Bring the water to the boil and add the tapioca pearls, stirring constantly. Bring the pearls to the boil, cover and cook over a low heat for 35-45 minutes.
Bring the plant-based milk of your choice to the boil together with the scraped vanilla pulp and vanilla pod. Remove from the heat and add the matcha powder, stirring constantly. Then leave to cool.
Now it's time to drain the tapioca pearls, rinse in cold water and place in cold water until ready to use
Blend the tea mixture, maple syrup and crushed ice in a blender in short bursts until frothy. Drain the tapioca pearls, divide between the glasses and top up with tea.
Et voila - the delicious, traditional bubble tea is ready. We hope you enjoy making it and say PROST!