Buzz
Bubble tea is a delightful beverage that combines the subtle bitterness of tea with the creamy richness of milk. You can make both hot and iced versions, along with various other methods to enhance the flavor of this drink. Below are some techniques you should consider.
Ingredients
1 serving
Hot Bubble Tea
- 125 - 185 ml water
- 2- 3 teaspoons (10 - 15 ml) tea leaves
- 125 ml whole milk or 2% milk
- 1 - 2 teaspoons (5 - 10 ml) sugar or honey
Iced Bubble Tea
- 2 tea bags
- 125 - 185 ml water
- 125 ml sweetened condensed milk
- 125 - 185 ml ice
Steps
Hot Bubble Tea
Boil the water. Pour water into a kettle and heat it on the stove over medium-high heat until it reaches a boiling point.
- Many kettles come with a whistle to signal boiling, but if yours doesn’t, you’ll need to keep a close eye on it.
- You can also use a small pot or an electric kettle to boil the water.
- Note that you can heat water in a microwave, but it’s best to do so in short intervals of 1-2 minutes to avoid overheating. Place a wooden stick or a microwave-safe object in the water while heating.
Add tea leaves to the teapot. Measure the tea leaves and pour boiling water over them.
- For this type of milk tea, oolong tea is commonly preferred. You can also use green or black tea, but white tea is too delicate.
- For a non-traditional yet exciting flavor, you can experiment with herbal tea blends. Floral teas, such as rose tea, work particularly well. If using herbal tea, add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of tea leaves.
- If you prefer a stronger tea flavor, add more tea leaves rather than steeping longer.
- If you don’t have a teapot, you can add the tea leaves directly to the pot while boiling the water, but make sure to turn off the heat after adding the tea.
Steep the tea. Cover the teapot and let the tea steep for 1-5 minutes.
- Green tea should steep for about 1 minute, while black tea can steep for 2-3 minutes. These teas may become bitter if steeped too long.
- Oolong tea is best steeped for 3 minutes, but it responds well to longer steeping without becoming bitter like green or black tea.
- Herbal teas require 5-6 minutes of steeping and won’t turn bitter even if steeped slightly longer.
Gradually add milk. Pour milk into the tea after steeping, stirring gently as you pour.
- Avoid adding all the milk at once, as this can dilute the tea.
- If possible, try not to let the milk exceed 60°C (140°F). Overheating milk can cause its proteins to denature, resulting in an unpleasant smell.
Strain the tea into a cup or glass. Pour the tea through a strainer into your cup.
- If you don’t have a tea strainer, you can use a fine mesh sieve. You’ll need some form of filtration to prevent tea leaves from ending up in your drink.
Add sugar or honey and enjoy. Stir in your preferred sweetener to taste. Savor the tea while it’s still hot.
Iced Milk Tea
Boil the water. Heat water in a kettle over medium or medium-high heat until it boils.
- Most kettles have a whistle to signal boiling, but if yours doesn’t, you’ll need to keep a close eye on it.
- If you don’t have a kettle, you can use a small pot or an electric kettle to boil the water.
- You can also heat water in a microwave, but follow safety precautions to avoid superheating. Place a non-metallic object, like a wooden stick, in the water and use only microwave-safe containers. Heat in short intervals of no more than 1-2 minutes.
Place the tea bags in a large cup. Pour boiling water over the tea bags in the cup.
- Black tea is the most suitable for iced milk tea prepared this way, but oolong tea also works well. Whichever tea you choose, it should have a robust flavor.
- If using loose black tea, place the leaves in a tea infuser or a clean nylon stocking to create a makeshift "tea bag." Use 2-4 teaspoons (10-20 ml) of tea leaves for this method.
Steep the tea. Typically, steep the tea for about 2 minutes, unless the tea packaging suggests otherwise.
- Since this is iced tea, you don’t need to worry about heat loss from leaving the kettle open during steeping.
Add condensed milk. Remove the tea bags and pour in condensed milk. Stir until the tea and milk are well combined.
- You can adjust the amount of condensed milk based on your taste preferences.
- Keep in mind that condensed milk is quite sweet, so additional sugar or sweeteners may not be necessary after adding it.
Add ice to the glass. Fill a tall glass halfway with ice cubes or crushed ice.
- A glass filled to the brim with ice will dilute the tea, but too little ice will prevent it from cooling quickly. Aim to fill the glass 1/2 to 3/4 full with ice.
Pour the tea over the ice and enjoy. Transfer the milk tea from the mixing cup into the ice-filled glass. Serve immediately.
Other Tea Variations
Make a simple milk tea version. Brew a black tea bag of your choice according to the instructions on the packaging. After removing the tea bag, add coffee creamer powder and sugar to taste.
Prepare Chinese-style milk tea. For an authentic Chinese culinary experience, boil the tea for 30 minutes to achieve a stronger flavor. Add sweetened condensed milk instead of plain milk after straining the tea into a cup.
Enjoy a glass of apple milk tea. This smooth fruit tea is made by blending apple slices, sugar, milk, brewed black tea, and ice until a creamy consistency is achieved.
Make bubble tea. Bubble tea is a unique milk tea variety featuring chewy tapioca pearls, also known as boba. It’s typically prepared with creamer.
- Try almond milk tea for a unique twist. Almond milk tea is a type of bubble tea, so it also includes tapioca pearls. This version uses homemade almond milk, though store-bought almond milk works just as well.
Try a robust spiced chai tea. Masala chai, a beverage originating from India and Pakistan, can be made with black tea, milk, honey, vanilla, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom. You can enjoy it hot or cold.
- Consider brewing a ginger tea variation. Ginger tea is a spin on traditional chai, incorporating fresh ginger for an added kick.
Brew a classic English-style tea. While not typically considered a traditional milk tea, English tea is often enjoyed with milk or cream.
- Switch things up with a vanilla cream tea. Vanilla cream tea is similar to English tea but replaces sugar with a hint of vanilla for a subtle twist.
Tips
- If using a traditional teapot, preheat it with boiling water to prevent the tea from cooling during steeping. Pour hot or boiling water into the teapot just before adding the tea leaves. This ensures the teapot is warm before steeping.
- Use whole milk for a creamier texture.
- Opt for high-quality tea leaves for the best flavor.
What You’ll Need
- Kettle, small pot, or electric kettle
- Tea cup or mug
- Tea strainer
- Teapot
- Timer
- Spoon
