Make this easy Strawberry Bubble Tea at home in just a few simple steps. It’s perfect for summertime or anytime you want a refreshing, fruity drink.

I’ve partnered with the American Dairy Association Mideast to bring you this recipe for National Dairy Month.

Bubble tea is one of my favorite drinks to enjoy during the summer. Unfortunately I live in an area where it is not readily available. I have started preparing my favorite bubble tea recipes at home and it’s fabulous!

What is Bubble Tea?

Bubble tea is an iced tea drink that originated in Taiwan in the 1980’s and has enjoyed growing popularity around the world in recent years. Bubble tea is also called

• Milk Tea
• Boba Tea
• Pearl Milk Tea
• Boba

Boba is made from partially cooked tapioca flour. It is naturally gluten-free and basically flavorless. It is typically sweetened with honey or a brown sugar simple syrup.

The boba pearls are traditionally black or dark brown but can also be found in rainbow colors, and even green matcha boba!

Milk Tea typically consists of 4 main ingredients- tea, milk, sugar, and tapioca pearls but can be customized in many many ways including some with or without ice, or even blended into a smoothie consistency. The possibilities are endless!

Where Can I Find Boba?

You can find many kinds of tapioca pearls (boba) online and at Asian markets. I purchase this double pack of black and rainbow boba.

Quick-cooking boba is the most convenient but be sure to make each batch fresh to be used within about 1 hour. After that time the chewy boba starts to harden.

If you have never had bubble tea the tapioca pearls are like a puffy, chewy gummy bear consistency and many people find them satisfying to suck up the traditional fat straw and chew while sipping their milk tea.

For this reason though I would suggest children under the age of 4 be supervised while consuming boba.

Can I Prepare the Boba in Advance?

It is best to follow the instructions on the tapioca pearls that you purchase because prep time and rest time can vary.

Typically the pearls are ready when they float to the top of the boiling water. At that point I turn down the heat, cover, and let rest for another 5 or 10 minutes.

You can remove the pearls and chill them or keep them warm in the pan. It is personal preference.

If you leave the pearls to cool longer than an hour or more they will begin to harden and are unpleasant to chew.