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Brown Sugar Syrup for Boba (The "Tiger" Look)

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You've seen it on Instagram: the "Tiger Milk" tea with dramatic, dark caramel stripes running down the sides of the cup. The secret isn't the tea—it's the syrup.

Standard simple syrup is too thin; it washes away instantly. To get those lingering stripes, you need a supersaturated syrup made from dark Muscovado sugar. The molasses content gives it a sticky viscosity and a rich toffee flavor that pairs perfectly with milk.

A glass of tiger milk tea with thick brown sugar syrup stripes
Prep Time2 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Yield1 Cup (8 Drinks)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Dark Muscovado Sugar (Or Dark Brown Sugar)
  • 1/2 cup Water (2:1 Ratio is key)
  • Optional: 1/4 tsp Salt (Enhances the caramel notes)
Nutrition per serving (2 tbsp):
Calories: 55
Fat: 0g
Sugar: 14g
Protein: 0g

Instructions

1.
Combine: Place sugar and water in a small saucepan. Do not stir yet.
2.
Dissolve: Turn heat to medium. Once the water starts to bubble around the edges, gently stir to ensure all sugar is wet and dissolving.
3.
Simmer: Turn heat to low. Let it simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. Ideally, do not stir during this phase to prevent sugar crystals from forming on the sides.
4.
Test: Dip a spoon into the syrup. It should coat the back of the spoon thickly, like warm honey. Remember, it will thicken significantly as it cools.
5.
Store: Pour into a glass jar. It keeps in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

How to Stripe the Cup

To get the look: Use a spoon to drizzle the cool, thick syrup around the inside walls of a dry glass. Then, immediately add your warm boba pearls to the bottom (their heat helps the syrup slide slowly). Finally, pour in cold milk over ice. The contrast between warm syrup and cold milk creates the tiger pattern.

Use It In These Recipes

Now that you have the syrup, make the drink.

Recipe: Authentic Tiger Milk Tea

Recipe: Homemade Tapioca Pearls

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