Boba is my latest obsession. Also known as bubble tea or black tapioca, boba is everywhere in LA. I mean, I can't even walk across campus without spotting a little makeshift boba tea stand.
Sadly though, boba is a bit harder to come across in Miami (where I've been spending summer break.) In order to keep my obsession satisfied throughout the summer months, I decided to attempt making boba at home.
And guess what? I've learned it's about as easy to do as boiling water.
Together with Brenna (my BFF since high school,) we made a little video showing you how simple it is to make boba at home. We also whipped up an incredibly creamy, tropical mango pineapple smoothie to go with. The perfect compliment to those chewy lil' tapioca pearls.
For those of you who have never tried boba, you're probably wondering why anyone would ever eat a bunch of chewy, fish egg-looking blobs. But after you try them, trust me, you'll be hooked too.
And for those of you who don't necessarily love mango (covering all my bases here,) I've added an additional smoothie recipe below - one that's simple, that I've made countless times. A strawberry pineapple smoothie that's a refreshing combo of tart and sweet.
And for those of you who don't necessarily love mango (covering all my bases here,) I've added an additional smoothie recipe below - one that's simple, that I've made countless times. A strawberry pineapple smoothie that's a refreshing combo of tart and sweet.
Mango Pineapple & Strawberry
Pineapple smoothies, with boba.
Serves 2.
INGREDIENTS
for the boba pearls...
5 cups of boiling water
1/2 cup dried black tapioca pearls
(find them in nearly any Asian market)
for the simple syrup...
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
for the smoothies...
~ Mango Pineapple ~
1 frozen banana
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen mango
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
around 3/4 cup orange juice
nonfat greek yogurt (a couple spoonfuls)
drizzle of honey (optional)
~ Strawberry Pineapple ~
1/2 cup fresh strawberries
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1/2 cup pineapple juice
DIRECTIONS
1. Boil 5 cups of water in a deep saucepan. Once boiling, add the dried tapioca pearls. When the pearls float to the top of the boiling water, cover the pan with a lid and continue boiling for 5 minutes.
2. After 5 minutes of boiling, turn off the heat and let the tapioca pearls simmer covered for another 5 minutes. Then, strain and rinse the boba with cold water to stop the cooking process.
3. Next, make the simple syrup that will keep the boba from drying out. Boil 1/2 cup of water in the microwave (2 minutes). Add in 1/2 cup of brown sugar immediately, and stir until it is dissolved. Add the boba into the simple syrup.
4. For the smoothies, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth - adding more liquid if necessary. Be sure to use frozen fruit! That's the key to a creamy, cold smoothie.
5. Scoop a small amount of the boba and syrup into the bottom of a tall glass. Pour the smoothie on top, serve with a wide straw - and sip up!
(side note: the song playing in this video is called Cold and Bright by Oldboyy. Heard it in a LEAFtv video a while back and haven't been able to get it out of my head since.)
(side note: the song playing in this video is called Cold and Bright by Oldboyy. Heard it in a LEAFtv video a while back and haven't been able to get it out of my head since.)
enjoy*
