![boba milk tea in glass with ice](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/media-storage/contentlab-data/7/22/dd1a5ce600c143c3aef522de726dd148.jpg)
Creamy, sweet, and chewy, this is a drink you'll want to enjoy over and over again! Boba, also known as bubble tea, is a sweet beverage that originated in Taiwan. During my honeymoon trip to Taiwan, I saw that the streets were lined with tea shops offering various flavors of boba. The options were endless!
The most popular boba drinks you'll find in Taiwan are brown sugar boba and milk tea boba. Brown sugar boba is noncaffeinated and is served with milk. It includes tapioca pearls cooked in brown sugar syrup. It's just as delicious as milk tea boba, which is essentially brown sugar boba with tea added. While visiting Taiwan is an amazing experience (and one I highly recommend!), you can learn how to make the famous brown sugar boba at home with just a few ingredients.
Video of the Day
Video: Boba Pearls and Bubble Tea
Servings
1 (16 oz.) cup or 2 (8 oz.) cups
Tools You'll Need
Small pot
Measuring spoons
Small spoon
Rubber spatula
Small knife or bench knife
Slotted spoon or strainer
Cup(s)
Boba straw (optional)
Plastic wrap
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the tapioca pearls:
- 5 tsp. brown sugar
- 1/3 cup tapioca starch, plus more for rolling dough
- 2 Tbsp. water
- 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. water
For the drink:
- 1/2 cup hot water (optional, if making tea version)
- 1 to 2 tea bags (optional, if making tea version)
- Ice
- 1/2 cup milk, or more to taste
- Brown sugar, to taste (optional)
1. Make the tapioca dough
Add 5 teaspoons of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of tapioca starch (or use 2 spoonfuls), and 2 tablespoons of water to a pot.
![brown sugar being added to pot](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/media-storage/contentlab-data/7/22/6b9cbabe15804e5b94ea3ca4efdb6fb0.png)
Tip
You only want to cook a bit of the tapioca starch for now to make it easier to mix later. While using light brown or dark brown sugar works, the best-tasting brown sugar boba uses Taiwanese black sugar (if you can find it). Panela is a great alternative as well.
2. Cook the tapioca mixture
Cook the tapioca mixture until it becomes sticky; it doesn't have to be smooth. Turn off the heat.
![cooking brown sugar tapioca](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/media-storage/contentlab-data/7/22/47aa4fab74af473db394cecf62031fa3.png)
3. Add the remaining tapioca
Add the rest of the tapioca starch and mix. If needed, add small amounts of water until it comes together.
![cooking brown sugar tapioca](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/media-storage/contentlab-data/7/22/b5e3de70bfcf48f5977b23f6a2184972.png)
4. Knead the dough
When the tapioca dough is cool enough to touch, dust a clean surface with tapioca starch. Pour the dough onto the table and knead until smooth. Wrap the tapioca dough in plastic wrap now as you brew the tea.
![brown sugar tapioca pearl dough](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/media-storage/contentlab-data/7/22/39e03e55ed014e989ab58f1770f5ff3e.png)
Tip
Skip the step of wrapping the tapioca dough in plastic and go to step 6 of rolling out the tapioca pearls instead if you'd like a non-caffeinated, brown sugar boba drink instead.
5. Brew the tea (optional)
For a milk tea boba, brew 1 to 2 tea bags with 4 ounces of hot water. Leave the tea on the side to let it cool.
![brewing tea](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/media-storage/contentlab-data/7/22/98a81f09a83340eda9501210c4bf8fef.png)
6. Roll the tapioca dough
First, take the tapioca dough and split it in half for easier rolling.
![tapioca dough in hands](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/media-storage/contentlab-data/7/22/7c71c8b9ed444a18b98324972488851e.png)
![splitting tapioca dough with hands](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/media-storage/contentlab-data/7/24/517fcd22969f42c4a40aaef0fdf9c891.png)
Roll one half of the tapioca dough into a thick rope.
![rolling tapioca dough](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/media-storage/contentlab-data/7/22/6b02d07021f0454ab4b03e041b4fef4b.png)
Fold the dough in half and pinch the ends so you have two separate skinny ropes.
![pinching the tapioca dough](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/media-storage/contentlab-data/7/22/228f086faab3478eb46b2a7a7a5475d4.png)
Do this again with the other half of the tapioca dough until you have four long ropes. Roll the four ropes in tapioca starch until lightly covered so they don't stick to each other when cutting.
![rolling tapioca dough](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/media-storage/contentlab-data/7/22/5ce921eac831446e8b3b27baa7270857.png)
7. Cut the tapioca dough
Line the ropes next to each other and cut them into 1/2-inch pieces. If it's sticking together, dust with more tapioca starch.
![cutting tapioca dough](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/media-storage/contentlab-data/7/22/a9dc8f75d7164626a9c50f6c5de8f3c6.png)
8. Roll the dough into pearls
Roll the cut pieces into little round pearls (you can also cook them as is without rolling into pearls).
![rolling tapioca dough into pearls](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/media-storage/contentlab-data/7/22/fccc796d6c07491fa1e0ede708f1606c.png)
9. Cook the tapioca pearls
Heat a pot of water to a rapid boil (you want a vigorous boil so the pearls don't stick to the bottom). Drop the tapioca pearls into the water and cook until they float. You can eat a pearl to test for doneness: it should be soft and chewy, not powdery or hard. Remove the cooked pearls with a slotted spoon or strainer and transfer to a plate.
![cooking tapioca pearls](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/media-storage/contentlab-data/7/22/13d6e29d44b34b0d90e46e1269d51d79.png)
10. Cook the pearls in syrup
Empty the water from pot. Add the pearls back to the pot along with 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. Cook until the sugar is melted. Turn off the heat the moment the sugar is dissolved so you don't overcook the tapioca pearls (they will get hard when overcooked). Let the pearls cool before adding them to your cup.
![cooking tapioca pearls](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/media-storage/contentlab-data/7/22/dbcd7f77ea2a42ee8bedaea6f394dd35.png)
11. Assemble the boba
Add the tapioca pearls to a cup along with ice and milk. Enjoy!
Tip
If you’d like your drink to be sweeter, you can add more brown sugar.
![assembling boba](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/media-storage/contentlab-data/7/22/7c247c95975642e5b21abb34b1bf5d15.png)
Add the cooled tea (if desired) for a milk tea boba.
![adding tea to the glass](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/media-storage/contentlab-data/7/22/2435a1cc06924b73a88ab58af1f74242.png)
![boba milk tea in glass with ice](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/media-storage/contentlab-data/7/22/dd1a5ce600c143c3aef522de726dd148.jpg)