Bubble tea – or boba – is the Taiwanese drink that has conquered the whole world: ice-cold tea with milk or fruit, and chewy tapioca pearls you sip up through a wide straw. The good news is that you don't need to go to a bubble tea shop: with a few ingredients you can make it at home in fifteen minutes – at a fraction of the price.
What you need
- Tapioca pearls – the classic dark pearls. You'll find several varieties in the bubble tea collection.
- Tea – black tea is the classic; jasmine and green tea also work beautifully. See our tea selection.
- Milk or plant milk – regular milk, oat or coconut.
- Sweetener – brown sugar, honey or syrup.
- Wide straws and ice cubes – straws come with most bubble tea kits.
How to make classic bubble tea (2 glasses)
- Brew the tea: Steep 2 bags of black tea in 200 ml of boiling water for 5 minutes. Chill.
- Cook the pearls: Add 100 ml of tapioca pearls to plenty of boiling water. Boil for 5–10 minutes (check the pack) until they are chewy and glossy, stirring now and then.
- Sweeten the pearls: Drain and toss the pearls in 2 tbsp of brown sugar or syrup – that's what gives you the classic «brown sugar» flavour.
- Build the glass: Pearls at the bottom, fill up with ice, pour over the cold tea and top with milk to taste.
- Serve with a wide straw – and shake or stir well first.
Tapioca pearls or popping boba?
The two types give completely different experiences. Tapioca pearls are chewy, made from tapioca starch and need to be boiled. Popping boba are small spheres with a liquid fruit filling that burst in your mouth – they shouldn't be boiled, just added straight to the glass. Perfect for fruit teas and for kids who find tapioca strange. We stock popping boba in mango, strawberry, peach and passion fruit.
Variations to try
- Brown sugar milk tea – the classic from the recipe above.
- Matcha latte boba – swap the black tea for 1 tsp of matcha whisked into hot water, top with milk.
- Fruit tea with popping boba – green tea + mango or passion fruit boba, no milk.
- Taro or strawberry – use flavour powder or syrup from kits.
Tips and common mistakes
Tapioca pearls should be served the same day – they turn hard in the fridge. So cook them just before serving. If they turn too soft, they have boiled too long. And don't skip the rinse in cold water: that's what gives the right chewy texture.
Everything in one place
You'll find tapioca pearls, popping boba, complete kits and ready-to-drink bubble tea in our bubble tea collection – with delivery across Norway, or in our stores at Holmen and Røa.
