Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)
Nothing beats a cool cup of bubble tea in the summer – slurping chilled tea while chewing on boba.
Boba, or tapioca balls, are clear, chewy balls made from tapioca starch. This starch comes from the root of the cassava plant. Tapioca starch contains a type of carbohydrate called polysaccharides. This gives boba their bouncy texture.
Uncooked boba are firm and slightly rubbery and must be cooked before becoming chewy. When the boba are cooked, they must be cooled immediately to stop them from becoming too soft or mushy. This is why boba are usually served in cold drinks to stop them from further expanding.
A layer of brown sugar syrup is also added to boba to keep them from drying out. When the boba sits out too long, they become hard and unpleasant to eat.
To create your own bubble tea, all you need is to cook the boba. Add a little brown sugar syrup and let them cool down in a cup of chilled tea.
Bubble tea has a lot of sugar and calories, though, so it should only be enjoyed as a special treat.
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