Bubble Tea (Classic Milk Tea)
A popular Taiwanese beverage, this single-serving Bubble Tea features a harmonious blend of freshly brewed black tea, creamy milk, and a touch of sweetness, all punctuated by the unique chewiness of tapioca pearls, making it a fun and satisfying drink.
What is this drink?
Bubble Tea (Classic Milk Tea) is Taiwan's iconic gift to the world — a creamy, sweetened black tea blended with milk and crowned with chewy tapioca pearls. Originating in Taichung in the 1980s, it swept through Asia before becoming a global phenomenon. The drink's playful contrast of smooth tea and bouncy boba is what makes it utterly irresistible.
Why you'll love it
The deep, earthy black tea harmonizes beautifully with the creamy sweetness of milk, while the tapioca pearls add a fun, chewy texture that makes every sip an experience. It's indulgent, customizable, and unlike anything else in the beverage world.
When to serve
Perfect as an afternoon treat, a post-shopping refreshment, or a fun party drink that guests can customize with their preferred sweetness level. It's especially popular in warm weather.
Pro tip
Cook the tapioca pearls precisely according to package directions and coat them immediately in brown sugar syrup — this prevents sticking and adds a rich caramel-like sweetness that elevates the whole drink.
Strong Brewed Black Tea
Assam or Earl Grey brewed double-strength provides the robust, slightly astringent base that stands up to the milk and sweetener.
Tapioca Pearls (Boba)
The signature element — quick-cooking starch pearls that turn wonderfully chewy when cooked, adding textural delight to every gulp.
Sweetened Condensed Milk or Whole Milk
Adds richness and creaminess that transforms the tea from a simple brew into a luxurious, dessert-like drink.
Swap Options
Swap black tea for oolong, green tea, or taro powder for entirely different flavor profiles. Use oat milk or coconut milk as a dairy-free alternative. Replace tapioca pearls with coconut jelly cubes or popping boba for variety. Adjust brown sugar syrup with honey or maple syrup for different sweetness notes.
Cook tapioca pearls
Bring 0.5 cup (120 ml) hot water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add 0.25 cup (40g) dry quick-cooking tapioca pearls. Stir immediately to prevent sticking. Cook according to package directions (usually 3-5 minutes), until pearls are soft and chewy. Once cooked, drain the pearls and immediately toss them with 1 tablespoon brown sugar or simple syrup. Set aside to cool slightly.
Tips:
- •The texture of the pearls is key; they should be chewy, not hard or mushy. Coating them in syrup prevents sticking and adds sweetness.
Prepare tea base
Ensure you have 0.75 cup (180 ml) of strong black tea that has been brewed and chilled. In a separate glass or cocktail shaker, combine the chilled black tea with 0.5 cup (120 ml) milk and 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar or simple syrup. Stir or shake well until the sugar is dissolved.
Tips:
- •Brew the tea stronger than usual as it will be diluted with milk and ice. Adjust sweetness to your preference.
Assemble the bubble tea
Spoon the prepared tapioca pearls into the bottom of a tall serving glass. If desired, add 1 serving of ice to the glass. Pour the milk tea mixture over the pearls and ice.
Tips:
- •Layering the pearls at the bottom ensures they are easily accessed by the wide straw.
Serve
Insert 1 wide straw (boba straw) into the glass. Serve immediately and enjoy the chewy pearls with every sip.
Tips:
- •Bubble tea is best enjoyed fresh to maintain the texture of the pearls and the chill of the drink.
- Experiment with different tea types like green tea, oolong tea, or even chai for varied flavor profiles.
- For a fruitier bubble tea, use a fruit puree or fruit syrup (e.g., mango, strawberry) instead of milk, and pair with green tea.
- Adjust the amount of sugar in the tea base to match your sweetness preference and the sweetness of the tapioca pearls.
- Add a pinch of matcha powder or taro powder to the tea base for popular flavored milk tea variations.
Different ways to make this drink your own
Taro Bubble Tea
Replace the black tea with taro powder (a starchy purple root vegetable widely used in Asian desserts) for a beautifully pastel-purple bubble tea with a subtly sweet, nutty, vanilla-like flavour that's enormously popular across Asia and at specialist bubble tea shops worldwide.
Matcha Bubble Tea
Swap black tea for ceremonial or culinary-grade matcha whisked into a paste and combined with sweetened oat or whole milk for a grassy, earthy bubble tea with a striking jade-green colour. One of the most popular modern bubble tea variations.
Brown Sugar Boba
Coat the cooked tapioca pearls in a thick brown sugar and water syrup reduced to a caramel-like consistency. Drizzle the caramelised pearls down the inside of the cup before adding milk and ice for dramatic, tiger-stripe caramel streaks — the most Instagram-recognisable bubble tea style.
Tools that make this drink come together
Cocktail Shaker
Shaking the tea, milk, and ice vigorously in a cocktail shaker creates the characteristic foam on top of a bubble tea and thoroughly chills and dilutes the mixture. Shake for 15–20 seconds — the foam is part of the authentic presentation.
Wide Straw
A wide straw (12mm diameter) is essential for bubble tea — the tapioca pearls must pass through the straw without blocking it. Paper or metal wide straws are available from bubble tea suppliers and many kitchen shops.
Medium Saucepan
Used to cook the dried tapioca pearls in a large volume of boiling water — pearls require at least 15 minutes of vigorous boiling to soften to the characteristic chewy, bouncy texture that makes bubble tea so distinctive.
Can't Find These?
A lidded jam jar shakes the tea and milk adequately. A kitchen sieve trains the pearls. Pre-cooked, packaged tapioca pearls (available from Asian food shops and online) can replace raw pearls and significantly reduce preparation time.
The right glass makes a real difference
Clear Plastic or Glass Cup with Sealed Lid
Bubble tea is traditionally served in a clear cup (plastic or glass) sealed with a film lid that is pierced with a wide straw — this is as much part of the bubble tea experience as the drink itself. The sealed cup makes the drink portable and the dramatic lid-piercing is a ritual that bubble tea enthusiasts actively enjoy. The transparency of the cup showcases the tapioca pearls and the tea's colour beautifully.
Alternatives
A wide-mouthed, transparent glass jar with a wide straw works well for home serving. A mason jar is a popular home alternative. Any tall, transparent vessel that accommodates a wide straw produces a serviceable bubble tea — the sealed film lid is primarily a convenience feature of commercial serving.
Perfect food pairings to complete the experience
Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken
Crispy, basil-seasoned Taiwanese popcorn chicken (chicken pieces coated in sweet potato starch and deep-fried) is the classic Taiwanese street food companion for bubble tea. Both originated in Taiwan and remain enormously popular together at night markets.
Egg Waffle
A golden, crispy-outside-soft-inside egg waffle (gai daan zai) shaped like a grid of bubbles is a popular Asian street food companion for bubble tea. The mildly sweet, custardy waffle contrasts nicely with the tea's sweetness.
Scallion Pancake
A crispy, flaky Chinese scallion pancake provides a savoury counterpoint to the sweetness of a classic milk tea bubble tea. The contrast of savoury and sweet is a hallmark of Taiwanese street food culture.
Sesame Tang Yuan
Soft, glutinous rice balls filled with sweet black sesame paste are a natural companion for bubble tea — both share the chewy, glutinous texture character that is central to East Asian dessert culture.
Prep in advance for effortless serving
Cook Tapioca Pearls Fresh
Tapioca pearls are best cooked fresh and consumed within four hours — stored cooked pearls harden and lose their characteristic bouncy texture. Cook a new batch for each serving occasion. If pearls must be held, keep warm in a small amount of sugar syrup rather than refrigerating.
Brew and Chill Tea Ahead
Brew a strong pot of black tea, sweeten with brown sugar syrup while hot, and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Cold pre-made tea means the drink can be assembled in under five minutes when the pearls are cooked.
Make Brown Sugar Syrup Ahead
Combine brown sugar and water in a 1:1 ratio, simmer until slightly thickened, and refrigerate in a sealed jar for up to two weeks. Ready-made brown sugar syrup is the key flavouring component and the most time-consuming element to prepare fresh each time.
Buy Pre-Made Pearls
Instant or quick-cook tapioca pearls (available from Asian supermarkets and online) cook in five minutes rather than the standard 15–20. For home serving, pre-made or canned tapioca in syrup reduces preparation time to almost nothing.
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