Hong Kong Milk Tea/Bubble Tea, Almost

I went to the University of Michigan for my undergrad, and it was there that I was introduced to one of the most magical drinks on the face of the planet:  Bubble Tea.  And thankfully, I again live in a city with a large Asian population and a formidable Chinatown.  Of course, Chicago's Chinatown can't rival that of New York or San Francisco, but we still have plenty of places where a thirsty gal can find a nice, cold boba. 

The hitch to this plan, besides the sugar in the drinks, is the fact that I don't have a job.  And therefore, I don't have any money to waste on anything, not even the nectar of the gods.  So the bf and I have been working on perfecting the recipe as cheaply as possible and with items that an average person could find at the grocery store.  No, scratch that, we're working on using items that an average person might actually have in their kitchen cabinet.  We haven't perfected the recipe yet, but we've found a way to at least sate our thirst until the next trip to Chinatown for dim sum.

The ingredients are quite simple:  black tea, sugar, and tapioca bubbles.  The first two are easy enough to find, but the bubbles you'll probably have to hunt for in an Asian market (or order online).  Shoot.  I got all the way through this post and realized that some people may want a better description than the one I provided.  Look, the main ingredients are black tea, sugar, milk and chewy bubbles.  It's pretty much a superior form of Southern sweet tea.  OKAY?



You just need to cook the "bubbles."

 

Drain the bubbles and mix in some sugar.  Pour the bubbles into a cup and add lots of tea and a little milk.  It should be a pretty tan color.

Bubbles + sugar!

Topped off with some tea...

And a smidge of milk...

So pretty!

Yes.  It's okay to judge the taste of something sometimes by how pretty it is.  Why else would I use the colored bubbles instead of black?

Hong Kong Milk Tea/Bubble Tea (inspiration from AllRecipes and Boba Tea Direct)
Yield:  About 4 glasses
Time:  About 30 minutes, depending on how well you can multi-task

Pearls
Ingredients:
1/2 c. 5 minute pearls (purchased from an Asian market)

Preparation:
1.  Boil about 4 cups of water in a small saucepan.  Add the bubbles.  Stir around until the bubbles float to the top to prevent them from burning to the bottom of the pan.
2.  Although these are "5 minute pearls," you're going to want to boil these for at least 10-15 minutes.  You'll know they're done with the edges are almost transparent, and the bubble itself is mildly translucent.  If you have your doubts, take out a bubble and taste it.  (I like my bubbles squishy, so if I think they taste right out of the boiling water, I cook them an extra couple minutes just to be safe.)
3.  Remove the pan from heat and drain in a colander.  Rinse the bubbles with cold water.  Return bubbles to the sauce pan.
NOTE:  Sadly, bubbles don't last long longer than a few hours after you make them.  After that, they get hard and weird.  NOT GOOD.

Sugar Syrup:
Ingredients:
1/4 c. Granulated sugar
1/4 c. Light-brown sugar
Squirt of Honey
1/2 c. water

Preparation:
1.  Add all ingredients to a small saute pan.  Bring to a low boil and boil for about five minutes.
2.  Remove from heat.  DONE!
NOTE:  You can make as much or as little of this as you want.  This was slightly more than what was needed to make four glasses.  If you make too much, just store it in your fridge for future bubble tea cravings!

Tea:
Ingredients:
2 bags of black tea (we used cheap stuff, and it tasted delicious.  Just think what better stuff could do for you!)
Water (at least 4 cups)

Preparation:
1.  Duh.  Boil some water on the stovetop, and while you're waiting for the water to boil, put two teabags in your teapot.
2.  Once boiling, pour the water over the teabags.  Our teapot makes about 4 cups, which is perfect for this recipe.

Putting it all together for Bubble Tea
Ingredients:
Bubbles
Simple Syrup
Milk (Note:  For a richer taste, use condensed milk.  I never have this on hand, so I never use it.)
Black Tea  (Note:  If you can handle it, throw the teapot in the fridge for awhile to cool down your tea.  Then you don't need to add ice cubes and risk diluting the bubble tea.)

Preparation:
1.  Pour the simple syrup over the bubbles (which are hopefully still in your sauce pan).
2.  Evenly scoop the bubble/sugar mixture into four glasses.
3.  Pour the black tea into the glasses, about 2/3 to 3/4 full.  If you are using hot tea and want a cooler drink, leave room for ice cubes.
4.  Top off  your drink with a little milk (a couple tablespoons or so, to taste).
5.  Insert a giant straw and enjoy!

Don't worry, there are pink and purple bubbles in there too...