BOBA

When the coronavirus pandemic forced many bubble tea shops to shutter for a while, I resorted to something I probably would never have done otherwise: I made my own boba, the small, chewy balls — often dyed black — found at the bottom of the bubble tea. The balls are made from tapioca, a gluten-free starch.

I first tried boiling storebought boba, but instead of chewy morsels, I ended up with a big, goopy mess. I decided to make the balls from scratch and found that it was pretty easy. It doesn’t take much to make boba — just tapioca flour, water, sugar and the optional food coloring. Rolling the sticky gum-like dough into many tiny, al dente balls does take time.

Traditional tapioca balls contain Taiwanese black sugar, which lends a deep caramel flavor. It is sold in blocks at Asian grocery stores but can be hard to find, so I used brown sugar — and loved the results.

It’s important to soak the boba in a liquid, such as a simple syrup of sugar and water. For extra flavor, you can soak the balls in dark rum or even whiskey. Add the balls to anything from spiked smoothies to plain tea, cold or hot.

Because boiled boba have a short shelf life, boil only what you plan to consume immediately — any extra will get crusty. The remaining uncooked tapioca balls can be frozen for the next time you need a pick-me-up. Nobody will judge you if, like me, it’s every day.

Liu writes for The Washington Post.

Homemade Bubble Tea (Boba)

Leave the tapioca balls natural, or dye them any color you like. Use the sugar syrup to infuse the boba with sweetness, as well as to sweeten your drink. If you’re short on time, roll out the tapioca dough ropes and cut them into pieces small enough to fit through the boba straw. You won’t get the rolled look, but the final product will taste and feel the same. The counter will get very sticky from the tapioca flour; scrub it with a damp kitchen towel for easiest cleaning. If you prefer your boba cold, brew the tea up to 1 day ahead, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. The syrup needs to be refrigerated for at least 1 hour before serving.

Makes 5 to 6 servings

FOR THE SYRUP:

1 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup lightly packed light or dark brown sugar

FOR THE BUBBLE TEA:

6 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar

1⁄4 cup water, plus more as needed

1⁄4 teaspoon black food coloring (optional)

1⁄2 cup tapioca flour or tapioca starch, divided, plus more for dusting and as needed

5 to 6 cups strong black or green tea, hot or chilled

Cream, milk or condensed milk, to taste (optional)

Make the syrup: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water with the granulated and brown sugars and stir until the mixture dissolves. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Transfer the syrup to a 2-cup plastic or glass container, cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or until thoroughly chilled.

Make the tapioca balls: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the brown sugar and water and, stirring constantly, bring to a rolling boil. Add the food coloring, if using, and stir to combine, then add 1⁄4 cup (35 grams) of tapioca flour and stir vigorously with a large metal spoon until a very sticky paste forms. It’s OK if the paste is lumpy.

Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining tapioca flour, until thoroughly combined.

Sprinkle some tapioca flour onto a clean, dry counter and transfer the paste onto the floured surface. (Tip: Scoop the paste with a metal spoon and use a silicone spatula to push the paste onto the counter.) Let the paste cool until it can be handled, about 5 minutes.

Knead the paste until doughlike and form it into a ball. It will be very sticky; keep it well floured. Work out as many lumps as possible. If the paste is too dry and crusty, add cold water, 1 teaspoon at a time. If it’s too wet, add more flour, 1 teaspoon at a time. The paste should spring back when gently poked with a finger.

Separate the paste into three equal pieces, and roll each into logs slightly less than 1⁄4-inch wide. Dust them with tapioca flour and cut the dough evenly, into cubes slightly less than 1⁄4-inch wide. Roll each cube between the palms of your hands to form small balls. If the dough is too dry and difficult to shape, lightly dampen your hands first. Once the balls are formed, coat them with a thin dusting of tapioca flour so they don’t stick together.

Fill a medium pot three-quarters of the way with water and, over high heat, bring to a rolling boil. Using either a fine-mesh strainer or your hand, shake the excess flour off the tapioca balls and drop the balls into the boiling water (you’ll need 20 balls per serving). Gently stir with a metal spoon to make sure the balls do not stick together, and boil until they float to the top and become translucent, 10 to 12 minutes.

Drain the tapioca balls and briefly rinse with cold, running water. Transfer the balls to a clean jar and use enough of the chilled sugar syrup to submerge them. Allow to soak for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

To make the bubble tea, add about 20 balls per 1 cup of strong, brewed tea. Serve hot or cold and with cream, milk, condensed milk or additional sugar syrup, if desired.

Storage note: The syrup can be refrigerated for up to 1 week. The leftover tapioca balls can be frozen for up to 2 weeks.

Adapted from Kung Fu Tea, cookinginchinglish.com and Bubble Tea Supply.