I grew up in a kosher food desert, a distant land that once had a flourishing Jewish life, called Germany. After the holocaust, Germany was on a big public relations mission to revive its former Jewish communities. While the effort was nice, the Germans were completely unfamiliar with Jewish community infrastructure. This resulted in several challenges. Among them is the difficulty to consume a kosher diet. However, observing kashrut in Germany taught me to make things from scratch.
When bubble tea became all the rage it was only a matter of time until I ventured to make my own and now you can too. It just happens to be kosher for Passover without any modifications, so it’s the perfect time to try something new.
As is the case with many fancy foods, this recipe is time consuming. If you are short on time before the holiday, consider making bubble tea on chol ha moed. This can be an activity the whole family will enjoy, and additional hands will get the job done faster.
This recipe is very exact! Do not improvise with the quantities of the ingredients for the boba and the syrup, because that could mess up the dough. I’ve done my best to describe the instructions as precisely as possible.
Ingredients
For the boba
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 cup tapioca starch plus 2 tablespoons
For the boba syrup
- 1 ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 6-7 tbsp of water
- 1 tablespoon molasses optional
For the iced milk tea
Per 16 oz cup
- 1 tea bag black green, or chamomile tea
- ½ cup milk or nut milk can be substituted with water
- 1 shot glass juice optional
- About ¼ cup cooked boba in syrup
- 3-4 ice cubes
- Water
Or, per 60 oz pitcher
- 2 tea bags can be black or green
- 2 cups Milk or nut milk (can be substituted with water)
- 4 oz juice optional
- 1- 1 ¼ cups boba in syrup
- 1-2 cups ice cubes
- water
Nutritional Facts
Instructions
The boba:
- In a small saucepan, boil the sugar in the water until it dissolves, about 2 minutes on high heat.
- Turn the heat down to low. Add ½ cup tapioca starch into the saucepan. Using a spatula, fold and stir the starch into the liquid quickly for about 7 seconds. The mixture should have a sticky, blob-like consistency. If the mixture is runny it means that the starch isn’t activated and that you’ve created oobleck. In that case, discard the mixture and start from the beginning.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and add another ½ cup of the tapioca starch. Fold in the starch until a dough forms. There should still be white starch around the dough; it doesn’t need to be all worked in. If you’re working it all in, you’re making oobleck again. I had to learn this the hard way.
- Pour the contents of the saucepan onto a clean countertop. Start kneading the warm dough with the spatula and a spoon for a minute. Then knead the dough with your hands, adding the remaining starch from the saucepan as necessary. The dough should be soft and elastic. Once it has reached this consistency it contains enough starch. Only work in more starch if the dough is sticky. (see picture below for what the dough should look like)
- Quickly roll the dough into a thick log, about 7 inches long. Then divide it into three equal pieces. Cover two pieces with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.
- Take the third piece and roll it into a thin rope, about the width of a number 2 pencil. Using a non-serrated knife, cut the rope into half-inch pieces. The pieces will look like little pillows. Cover the pieces you’re not currently working on with plastic wrap. If the dough gets too dry, microwave it for a few seconds.
- Put the remaining 2 tablespoons of starch into a small bowl. In your hands roll one dough piece at a time into a sphere. You could also roll 3-5 pieces between your palm and the countertop. These are the boba pearls. Drop the boba pearls into the bowl with the starch. Coat the pearls with the starch.
- The boba pearls can be frozen in an airtight container for later use at this point. Otherwise, move on to the next step.
- In a large pot, boil 8 cups of water. Sift the boba pearls in a fine sieve to remove any excess starch and add them to the boiling water. Cook the boba uncovered for exactly 30 minutes on high heat.
- Turn off the heat and cover. Let the boba pearls rest in the hot water for 20-25 minutes. The boba should be chewy and almost clear.
The syrup:
- While the boba is resting in the water, pour the sugar and water for the syrup into a small saucepan. As you continuously stir to combine them, boil the mixture over high heat for about 6 minutes until a thick syrup forms.
- Once the pearls are ready, drain them in the fine sieve and add them to the syrup mixture. Coat the boba pearls in the syrup by stirring it all together. Then add the molasses according to taste.
- Store the boba in the fridge for up to 48 hours, or use immediately. If you prepared the boba before yom tov, warm the pearls up in 3-4 tablespoons hot water for 5 minutes and stir before assembling the tea.
The iced-tea milk:
- Boil the tea in water. Set aside to let it cool down.
- Add the boba to the bottom of each glass. Swirl the syrup over the sides of the glass for extra effect.
- Pour the tea over the boba. Add ice cubes. Then add the milk and stir 1-3 times. Add juice if you desire. The drink is very sweet! If you want it less sweet, add less syrup.
- Enjoy with a wide boba straw.
Equipment
- 2 small saucepans
- 1 large pot to hold 8 cups water
- Fine sieve
- Small bowl
- Skimmer
- Non-serrated knife
- Plastic wrap
- Silicone or wood spatula
