Just add water. It seems too simple, but that’s really all it takes to make boba tea.
But wait — what is boba tea, you ask? In short, it’s tapioca in a drink. Deliciously bulbous chunks of tapioca in a drink. Derived from a Chinese symbol (波霸) that means “large,” these chewy balls are sometimes referred to as bubble tea, boba tea with pearls or just plain boba. The trend originated in Taiwan and typically accompanies milky beverages, but they easily pair well with any hot or cold drink.
What’s the big deal? If you’re like me, texture in foods makes a big difference in the experience of consuming them. So, when you give me something to munch on while drinking — read: drinking — I’m pretty much hooked. Not only is it delicious, but it’s also filling. Also if you’re like me, you had probably never heard of boba tea until you came to college, but now, you can’t get enough. In Gainesville, a college town I personally feel has a large selection of Asian-influenced cuisine, boba tea is easy to find. But I bet you didn’t know it’s even easier to make. If you need to feed your obsession, but don’t want to empty your wallet every day, read on, collegiettes.
What you’ll need:
- 1 bag of dry tapioca pearls. You can obtain these from your nearby Asian market. In Gainesville, I recommend Oriental Food & Gift Market (Asian Food Market), located at 3345 SW 34th St. It’s cheaper to buy in person, but you can also check online. I use this brand from Amazon.
- water
- tea (hot or cold)
- sugar (optional)
How to make it:
1. Turn your stove on, and set it to a high heat.2. Fill a pot halfway full with water.3. Wait until the water is boiling to add boba to the water. Once ready, add your desired amount of boba.4. After about five minutes, you should see the boba start getting darker and fluffier and rising to the surface. Once it’s racing around the pot, reduce heat to medium. (Times will vary with different brands and preferences.)5. Use a straining ladle when ready to add boba to your tea or other beverage of choice. The boba will be hot, so add ice if necessary to cold drinks.6. Enjoy!
If you eat the boba with hot drinks, I recommend using a spoon and eating it like soup. If you’re eating it with a cold drink, add ice (which also hardens them if you like them chewier). There are large straws, which are also available at Asian markets or online, that let you drink and eat with the perfect balance of beverage and boba. For a more store-bought taste, you can add sugar to make the pearls sweeter. They tend to have less flavor when they are homemade, but choice of drink and added sweetness can change that.
Recommended drink pairings
- hot tea
- cold tea
- smoothies
- chai tea latte
- wine (I may or may not have tried this… and it may or may not have been a strike of genius.)
Still not convinced? If you’d rather stick to store or restaurant-bought boba tea, here’s what you can expect from some popular boba providers around Gainesville:1. Lollicup: Best for variety. From rose tea to passion green tea with lychee jelly, this popular joint is the only Gainesville shop that solely sells boba. Lollicup is good for first-timers and is probably the most well known one in town. The boba tends to be smaller and harder.2. Sushi-2-Go: Best for price. With classic milk teas like taro, green tea, Thai, mango, coconut and honeydew, you can’t beat this speedy Japanese restaurant’s price. The boba tends to be larger and softer.3. Bento: Best overall. With clever flavor mashups and perfect boba consistency that’s not too hard and not too soft, Bento takes the cake, in my opinion, for the best boba tea in town. And with an awesome meal to match, who could go wrong?
Food trends come and go. Although I’ve long been addicted to boba tea and hope it maintains its longevity, mark my words when I say boba tea is the next big thing. First, there was the smoothie craze, and then there was the self-serve yogurt scene that took over a few years ago. We’re overdue for a groundbreaking beverage to emerge everywhere, and I’m perfectly okay with seeing more love for boba take off. Have you tried boba or even made your own? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below!