How to Cook Boba (Bubble Tea Pearls) | Step-by-Step Guide
Bubble Tea is a very popular drink which combines milk tea with cooked Tapioca Pearls known as boba. Originally from Taiwan, this drink is very popular with younger kids and teens and is part of Taiwanese pop culture. It's become so popular that you can even find this drink in the US (usually in larger cities).
A big question I usually get about boba, is how to cook chewy boba and what brands do I buy. From experience, each brand of boba cooks differently due to the ingredients and how they make it.
Premium boba actually takes a while to cook (about 45 min.) but it will only keep for the same day. If you try and store it in the refrigerator, the texture will change and it will lose it's signature chewiness. I know it sounds strange, but do not attempt to make a big batch and store it overnight in the fridge unless you like strange textured boba. (think of a deflated tire - kind of like that)
Once you cook boba, I like to store mine in a simple syrup mixture so they don't stick together, and so it sweetens the boba a bit. My favorite brand at the moment is Bolle Brand of Premium Tapioca Pearls because they are simple to cook and they are chewy. Unfortunately they do take about 45 min. which is the one downside. There are other quick cooking boba alternatives that take around 10 - 15 min. but in my opinion they don't taste as good.
In this video tutorial, I'll go over both types as well as a brand comparison and taste test. I also give instructions for how to cook the boba pearls.
Use enough water so the pearls have room to boil and float freely - which will help with cooking. When in doubt, use more water as some will evaporate (especially important for the Premium longer cook time boba)
