I love some bubbly...tea

This post was me being bored once again and just making something from boredom. Well, Christina suggested that I post a blog about making what I made so she could know how to do it, because I posted a photo on facebook. So now I present...Bubble Tea!

Bubble Tea
3-4 parts Tapioca Starch
0-1 parts Corn Starch (Optional)
1 part Powdered Sugar
little water to form dough
1 tea bag of Thai or Oolong tea
water for tea
Ice
Milk and Sugar (Or sweetened condensed Milk)

First thing you have to do when making bubble tea is to get the beads for the tea. You can Buy the beads but if you really want to spend the time making it. Skip ahead if you don't want to make them because it's very time-consuming.

Bubble Tea Beads

You need tapioca starch to make the beads.  You also must know that starch is a tricky substance to shape.  It falls apart easily when you put pressure on it because it's a non-newtonian fluid and after it breaks and there is no pressure it'll melt (Oobleck).  So a helpful trick is to cook a tablespoon of tapioca starch to use as some of the water in the recipe and it helps the beads stay together a little better.

The first step is mixing up the dough.  You must add together the starch (usually just tapioca), the cooked starch (if desired), and then mix it well.  You should have a crumbly base.  Now add very small amounts of water and mix it well until it forms a solid dough that is uniform and stands without melting.

Now you need to form it into little balls about 1/2 - 1 cm wide.

Now you have to cook the beads in boiling water.  First you need to get a wok or something  else that is non-stick.  Fill it with water and once it starts a rolling boil you can drop the round pearls in.  After the pearls float then they are done cooking.  You can take them out at this point and place them on a plate WITHOUT something to absorb the water because they'll stick.

They are now at the point of when they are in the store.  Now you, if you want (and I suggest it), boil them for 15-30 minutes.  Then they'll become aqueous all the way through and won't be chewy anymore.  Now place them in a glass cup.  Now boil some water and add it into a teacup and add a teabag of thai (or oolong if you have no thai) tea.

Now you let the tea sit for about 3 minutes while dipping it up and down occassionally.  Now while it sits add in the milk and sugar to the beads.  You can also use freshly made un-carmelized dulce de leche or sweetened condensed milk.

Now Add in the warm/hot tea and mix it well to blend in the milk and sugar.

 And now lastly add in ice and mix and there ya go! Bubble  tea!

With Love,
Kyle Swayne