(Bubble Tea)
Have you ever had boba tea? I love those little chewy morsels that hide shyly at the bottom of the cup—only to suddenly leap out of there into the straw and straight into your mouth. The only problem is that most of these drinks have an inordinate amount of sugar in them, and I prefer my boba tea without a side of guilt. It’s very easy to make it at home once you’ve acquired the boba, and you can customize the tea to whatever flavor you most enjoy. Note that it’s important to use real sugar in this recipe, as the boba need to be in a sugar syrup in order to stay chewy and pliable.
{ Serves 4 }
| Active Time | Function | Release | Total Time |
| 5 minutes | Pressure/Manual (High) | Natural/Quick | 40 minutes |
Dietary Considerations: Grain-Free, Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, Vegetarian
1. For the boba: In the Instant Pot, combine the boba, water, and sugar.
2. Secure the lid on the pot. Close the pressure-release valve. Select MANUAL and set the pot at HIGH pressure for 2 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, allow the pot to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.
3. Allow the boba to cool in the pot, or pour them and the sugar syrup into a glass jar to cool at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. (The boba will look quite large. They will shrink as they cool.) The boba can be kept in the refrigerator in the sugar syrup for a few hours, but they don’t store particularly well.
4. For the tea: In a glass pitcher, stir together the tea, ice cubes, milk, and sugar.
5. Using a slotted spoon, divide the boba among four glasses. Pour the tea over the boba and serve immediately.
Note: Boba are large tapioca pearls. You can find black boba or, more recently, boba in a variety of colors including rainbow boba. If you can’t find them, plain large tapioca pearls will provide the same texture as the boba—but not the visual element.