Ingredients
The Boba & Syrup- 1/2 cup Black Tapioca Pearls (Quick-cook 5 min pearls work best)
- 1/2 cup Muscovado or Dark Brown Sugar (Essential for the "Tiger" flavor)
- 1/2 cup Water
The Drink
- 2 cups Whole Milk (or Barista Oat Milk)
- Ice Cubes
- Optional: 1 bag of Black Tea (brewed in 50ml water) if you want caffeine.
Nutrition per serving:
Calories: 350
Fat: 8g
Sugar: 45g
Protein: 8g
Instructions
1
Cook the Boba: Boil a pot of water. Add tapioca pearls and cook according to package instructions (usually boil 5-20 mins, then rest). Drain the water, but do not rinse the pearls cold—we want them hot.
2
Make the Syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar and 1/2 cup water. Simmer on low heat until it bubbles and thickens into a sticky syrup (about 5 mins).
3
Thicken & Coat: Add the drained pearls into the syrup pan. Simmer for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly. The mixture should become thick and gloopy. This is the secret to the stripes.
4
The "Tiger Stripe" Technique: Spoon the warm boba syrup into a glass. Tilt the glass horizontally and rotate it slowly, letting the syrup coat the walls completely.
5
Serve: Fill the glass with ice immediately (to freeze the syrup stripes in place). Pour over the cold milk (and tea shot if using). Stir before drinking to mix the layers.
Expert Tip: The Texture Contrast
The magic of this drink is the temperature play. The pearls at the bottom should be warm and soft (Q-texture), while the milk on top is ice cold. Don't let the pearls cool down before adding them to the glass, or they will become hard and rubbery.