Mango Bubble Tea

Mmmm.....boba drinks!   They're one of my favorite weekend treats.  I just love slurping up those chewy tapioca pearls with my milk tea through fat, colorful straws.  They do look a little freaky at first, as if little black eyeballs sank to the bottom of your drink.  But, once you get past that image and try it, they're actually quite fun!  The tapioca pearls don't have any flavor.  They're like very chewy, unflavored gelatin.  So why would someone put them in a drink in the first place?  Beats me.  But, I think they add an interesting texture and novelty to the normal, boring drink.

Boba drinks have been around for years and now there are numerous cafes specializing in these fun beverages.  They've become very popular worldwide.  McDonald's in Germany and Austria are even offering boba drinks on their menus.  How cool is that!

I also just learned that boba tea was invented in Taichung, Taiwan.  That's MAC's hometown!  So, isn't it perfect that I learned to make them at home?  Plus, we don't have any boba cafes nearby, and I'm too lazy to drive 3 miles for one.  It's much easier and way more fun to make them myself.  Really, you should try it.  The tapioca only takes about 5 minutes to make.  Then, just throw some frozen fruit, tea, and other juices into a blender and voila!  You're done!  I had a box of lovely organic mangoes, so this was a great way to use them.  MAC is a big fan of this recipe already.....I made it twice this week.  I think I'll try a regular milk tea with boba next.  Yay, can't wait! :)

Mango Bubble Tea
Yields 2 drinks

Ingredients:
2 green tea bags
250 ml boiling water
2 tbsp honey
75g large tapioca pearls
Flesh from 1 ripe mango, frozen
Juice from 2 ripe oranges
200 ml coconut milk

1. Place the teabags in the boiling water for 5 minutes.  Remove the bags, then stir in the honey.  Set aside to cool and refrigerate until chilled.

2. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil.  Slowly, but evenly, add the tapioca pearls and stir gently.  When tapioca pearls are plump, reduce heat to medium and cover.  Cook for 5 minutes, then cool.  (Or follow cooking instructions on your tapioca pearls.)

3. Add orange juice, coconut milk, tea, and frozen mango to blender.  Blend until smooth.

4. Divide tapioca pearls into drinking glasses.  Add mango mixture to glasses, then serve with a straw.